Sabbath Thought – We Are Not Prey

You and I live in dangerous and tough times. While we are blessed to understand the value, purpose and refuge of God’s Sabbath day, we cannot count on the Sabbath alone to give the strength necessary to endure to the end. The geopolitical world seems to be forever in turmoil – wars continue and increase, world economies teeter on collapse (and yet limp along), old hatreds between nations continue, and this nation is more divided than it has ever been with civil conversations almost non-existent as well as anger that will not bear good fruit.

      In 2 Peter 5:8 we are told that Satan is like a lion stalking prey. We are not at an increased risk because of the scary events on the national and international scenes, it is more that we are aware of the dangerous times in which we live. Satan has always been on the prowl, but he is more active now, and I believe, more focused on God’s people as we get closer to the end of this age.

      Peter encouraged those he was writing to with verse 9 – “…resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” That may not sound very encouraging, but there is a certain amount of comfort in knowing that we are not unique in facing Satan and the world around us – and not only that, but that we also have the successful examples of those who have gone before us.

      If we back up and read verses 6 and 7, we find that if we remain humble and give our cares to God, He will take care of us.

      We are facing an increasingly hostile world and yet we know how it will all end. We, of all people, should have a peace (Psalm 119:165) in looking at what is going on in the world because in our obedience and submission to God we have a vision and the hope (based on His promises) of a better world.

      Are we on the cusp of what accelerates the end-time events? I don’t know. I do know, that if we are not watching (Luke 21:36) and praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and drawing on God’s peace, we put ourselves at risk of that lion looking for prey.

      The Sabbath is a rest stop to fill our spiritual tanks for another week of putting into practice God’s way of life so that when it is all finished, we will hear God say, “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into my joy,” (Matthew 25:23).

I wish you a very meaningful, peaceful and restful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

20 June, 2026