25th September 2025

25th September 2025


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 1v6-12)


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


Does saving faith guarantee an easy life? By no means. That might be a surprise to you but it is the truth of Scripture. The person who comes to Christ isn't immediately made perfect, their problems don't immediately disappear and they don't immediately become immune to the difficulties of this world. Why is life so hard sometimes? One reason is that we are fallen sinful creatures who live in a fallen sinful world, but in the book of Job we catch a small glimpse of other unseen heavenly realities.


Job's earthly existence would soon be impacted by heavenly circumstances. The angels (called here "sons of God") were one day required to present themselves before the Lord (Job 1v6). Angels are "ministering spirits" and they do not operate independently. In Hebrews 1v14 we are told that the angels exist for the sake of those who will inherit salvation. Few will ever see the angels but we can be certain that they are at work and they take their orders from the Lord.


Satan is also an angel and despite the fact that he rebelled against the Lord, he is not free to do whatever he pleases. Any power or authority that he wields has been given to him by the Lord. Satan is not God's equal, his power is not absolute, he is not everywhere all at once and so we shouldn't be surprised that he was found amongst the angels in Job 1v7 called to give an account.


The Lord asked Satan from where he had come with Satan's reply “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” (Job 1v7). Peter would say something similar when he wrote "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5v8). Paul described Satan as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2v2) and the Lord Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” (John 12v31). 


As the story in heaven was unfolding the Lord drew Satan's attention to a righteous man upon the earth saying “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1v8). Job would have been completely unaware of God's ringing endorsement but as far as Satan was concerned Job feared God because the Lord had blessed him abundantly (Job 1v10). If God acted to remove Job's blessings then he would surely curse God to His face (Job 1v11) prompting the Lord to give Satan permission to do as he pleased with Job's possessions (Job 1v12).


These verses are both mysterious and fascinating yet behind them lies the ancient unfolding of God's plan of redemption. In Genesis 3v15 the Lord proclaimed to Satan "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Satan's arrogance told him that Job was a fraud and by extension God's promises would fail but the book of Job would reveal something greater. Job would not fall, God's plan would not be defeated and the enemy of God's people would know defeat.


Even so, Job would know desperate anguish and loss causing him to wonder, question and wrestle with all that would happen to him. Job's experience was not to be easy and we too will know suffering in this world. Will we struggle? Absolutely. Will we perish? By no means. We may not know or understand the unseen realities but God will certainly not abandon us. Christ has crushed Satan's head and all who persevere will trample the enemy into the dust.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q83 Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
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