Noises in the Night

Noises in the Night

A Ghanaian family sees God’s protection in a graphic way.

When we read the Bible, we admire how God protected His people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but sometimes we subconsciously believe that His special protection is outmoded, a thing of the past. The truth is that He still protects His people even in our present time. We must not forget that our God does not change! 

Since 2004, my family and I have been living in a community in Kumasi, Ghana, where we share a property line with a poultry farm. Because of the expense it would be, we have not been able to build a solid, walled fence around our yard. Instead, we patched together a protective fence between our house and the farm using old roofing sheets. 

At the back of the farm flows a small river, attracting the local wildlife. Snakes, in particular, have menaced our community, with as many as five pythons having been killed in the area. One of them actually entered the home of a community man, causing him to build a sturdy wall around his yard to keep unwanted visitors away. 

Pythons are not the only reptiles lurking; other reptiles, including other harmful snakes, are also common. To help protect my family from the varmints, I have two dogs and two cats. The cats have been able to kill some of the snakes and lizards. 

This year, in the first week of March, I started hearing unusual noises behind my house at night. Each time I opened the window to look around, however, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Every morning, I would get up and check around for evidence of burglary or other disturbances, but I couldn’t see anything out of place. 

Two weeks later, a worker at the poultry farm spotted a big python and raised an alarm. Several of us came to his aid to kill the snake. Despite its being a fearsome predator, I couldn’t help admiring that large reptile’s beauty. As I looked at the creature, the strange noises I had heard in the night started to make sense. Pythons often catch dogs and other animals in the forest. This python must have been coming through my fence to hunt for prey—trying to get to the animals in my house. Our home should have been an easy target, had not the angels of the Lord been on guard, taking care of us. How wonderful that God still protects His people in our era! Whether we see it or not, the Lord has His hand over His children all the time, no matter what. May His name be praised!

Sin has spoiled God’s creation and brought on all the calamities we see happening in the world. Our own brush with the dangerous python has drawn my attention to Heaven and the New Earth, where we are promised that we will live with all these animals peacefully, without any harm. How wonderful that will be! Let us thank the Lord for protecting us here and now, and remember to serve Him faithfully so that we may be able to live forever with Him and all the tamed animals. 


Location
Ghana

Author
Pastor Stephen Ankrah is a retired pastor who continues to share the everlasting gospel to the people in Ghana.

Pray for the work that Pastor Ankrah is doing in Ghana. He would like to be the host of the radio program to proclaim the Three Angels Messages.

Give. You can support the work by sending your donations to:

Mission Projects International
PO Box 151
Inchelium, WA 99138

For online options, visit: 
missionspro.org/donate