The Ghost and the Darkness

The Ghost and the Darkness is a 1996 thriller film about the Tsavo man-eaters, two lions who attacked the builders of the Uganda-Mombasa Railway in 1898, killing about 35 of them, and the subsequent hunt to kill them.

These lions were so quick and ferocious that every attempt to kill them failed. The men dubbed the lions “the Ghost and the Darkness” because of their notorious methods of attack.

1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to;

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

This movie reminds me of how sin can swiftly crawl into our lives as believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Bitterness and resentment is like the Ghost and the Darkness in our lives.

Fourteen years and 22 kids later I was confronted head on with those two sins which almost destroyed our beautiful family. The lions from "The Ghost and the Darkness" when attacking the builders would come in from any angle at any time, without notice. Bitterness and resentment are equally the same way!

In ministry and helping families all these years we were not prepared to what happened in our own home recently. There was an explosion that caused all of us to examine our hearts before our Savior!

Why am I being so transparent?

Explosions happen in the best of families but what do we do with it is what is very important.

Reinforcement was needed and it came in from everywhere just like it came when the Ugandans could not kill the lions in the movie! My husband and I traveled for about 45 minutes to Barren River State Park where we began our journey of being honest with one another for the very first time!

We not only had to be honest about the bitterness and resentment that was ailing him for all those years but I had to admit my own fear of trusting him.

Sounds pretty messed up, huh?

That is what I love about our Savior, He is willing and ready to begin picking up broken pieces and gluing them together again if we obey and trust Him!

In the movie the Ghost and the Darkness the lions were killed but it took a very special strategy and it was after killing 35 of the men. Bitterness and resentment was in the process of doing the same thing in our lives. Killing us little by little and pretending that it was not there. Bandaging a wound really without healing it. Does it make sense?

Getting home and sharing our hearts we saw forgiveness and restoration begin to take place. Recognizing the Ghost and the Darkness played a major part of our healing. Recognizing it and laying it down also brought some junk out of our kids’ pasts that needed to be dumped! The picture of that day will never be erased from my memory.

Philippians 3:12-14 tells us “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Satan did not win his ferocious battle against our family! Something good has happened and that good came about because we serve a Great and Mighty God! I am asking each one of us to search out our lives to see if we keep bandaging our past hurts, holding grudges, unforgiveness, resentment, and bitterness. I will let you know it will show it’s ugly head when you least expect it just like in the movie when the Ghost and the Darkness would slide right around the corner!

Close and Personal

1. Do you think because you don’t talk about things that you have dealt with any past hurts?

2. Are you bandaging your pain?

3. The Ghost and the Darkness in your life, do you see it or do others?

My dear Heavenly Father I just want to tell you thank you all over again for loving us as you do. You have been such a longsuffering Savior and Friend! I pray for all my sisters that will read this today Lord that they will not allow any Ghosts and Darkness to enter into their lives but rather that they will recognize the enemy and be prepared as a good soldier in Your army! Lord, use me in whatever way You want me to used by You! I love You so much my Lord and my Savior!