Good news & bad news: These Psalms devotionals have been removed because they are being revised and reshaped into a devotional book published by Our Daily Bread Publishing tentatively titled Shelter in the Storm. The purchase link will be posted here when it is available. For now, the best way to stay up to date on when the book is published is to subscribe to Noah’s blog updates, which you can do here.
Founding Pastor at Mosaic Church
Noah is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church, a multi-ethnic church in urban Grand Rapids, MI. He is a grad of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
Join an online men's small group led by Noah and team at BeyondTheBattle.net
He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
Join an online men's small group led by Noah and team at BeyondTheBattle.net
Latest posts by Noah Filipiak (see all)
- Ep. 107: Mark & Beth Denison on Betrayal Trauma - November 4, 2024
- When “I follow the Lamb, not the Donkey or the Elephant” falls short - October 31, 2024
- Why We Can’t Merge Jesus With Our Political Party - October 24, 2024
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Thanks for your post, this Psalm helps restore perspective. Sometimes living in a place with so much material comfort conditions us to avoid or deny the truth that Jesus’ call to follow Him leads us into suffering. His call is thru a narrow gate to a hard road bearing our own cross for our entire time here. But it’s the road where the Spirit guides us into Truth, where we learn Christ and become like Him, and it’s the only road given to those following Jesus. The Gospel is most satisfying when it includes the good news to take up and bear our own cross, and its encouragement to joyfully endure tribulation, which is the situation of every Christian, to be in this world but not of it.
We need that encouragement when those times of darkness and despair that you write about are real. A few years back I faced the hardest times I’ve ever had after reading one of your posts. There were months where the nights were oppressive and the darkness almost tangible and I’d hunger for the light of dawn. I couldn’t find God and it’s maybe the most alone and worthless I’ve ever felt. It was painful but it was when I was most empty and alone that I found God most real. There’s grace found in the brokenness we suffer. I realized so much I thought was true wasn’t, and that’s been freeing to let go the narrative I’ve lived with.
Thanks for all your posts. I can track a lotta of my journey with many of the posts and comments on your blog. The so many that pointed to Jesus were like the north star in the night.
One other thing is a typo after “You will wonder where God went.” Think you meant “We don’t need…” after that.
You are the best Alan! Thanks so much. I try to read over these quick before publishing, but am always afraid of the inevitable typos like these. You heard it here first folks, when you are facing darkness and despair, what you need is trite and empty platitudes! lol
Amen Alan! Thank you for that encouragement, I need it and appreciate it.
And I think you make a great point with our culture’s material wealth and comfort… that is what has shaped our theology in this area. I read “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” by James Cone over the summer and wow, I learned a real theology of suffering from African American Christians over the years. What’s extra crazy is a lot of their suffering was being done to them by white CHRISTIANS. That’s a real mind binder.
You’re so right! And it continues today, how much pain is added to their suffering when they see a whole lotta white Christians remain blind and deaf and unmoved to the inequity & injustice they face? And that’s to our loss as white Christians, they have so much to tell us about the cross that would encourage our faith. Doesn’t the history of the black church in America, along with the persecuted church in the world, seem more true to what Jesus and the whole NT said the experience of the church in this world would look like? It will make the rest of us deeper Christians when we learn to see & hear them.
I don’t know if you ever listen to old Negro spirituals, I found a couple of playlists on Spotify, but they’re awesome, the lyrics are like the Psalms and they’re good companions on the journey when you’ve embraced the cross. Check this one out:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4lL5DOPit8MZG3f5KdwpEM?si=YsLuRZBJTA2asNBkmRV30A&utm_source=copy-link