May 15, 2024

“A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength. The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power. But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him – those who depend on his faithful love to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine.”
– Psalm 33:16-19

This morning, I was reading an article about the mystery of what caused Beethoven to go deaf. There have been a lot of theories, but recently a group of scientists think they have cracked the case. They took a sample of Beethoven’s hair and analyzed it for toxins. It was found to have incredibly high amounts of lead…some of the highest numbers these scientists had ever seen. This not only explains why he would go deaf, but also explains the neurological and digestive issues that plagued him most of his adult life. But where did the lead poisoning come from? Wine during this time was fermented in pots with lead soldering that would seep into the wine. It was also flavored with lead acetate. Additionally, the corks were often soaked in lead salt to help them seal. This likely began the issue,but as his condition worsened, he was instructed to take more and more wine as it was thought to be good for your health and especially digestion. As Beethoven got sicker and sicker, he began taking a myriad of medicines, much of which also contained lead. The irony here is that the things he was turning to in hopes of healing his condition actually caused more suffering. He died a very painful death at only 56.

Where are you looking for healing, peace, comfort, and rescue? Have you put all your hope in earthly cures? Or even worse, have you turned to vices and addictions that have only caused more pain? I have had a lot of health problems in the past five years. Because of that, I have seen many doctors, gone through many tests, and taken many different medications. I am thankful we live in a time of such medical knowledge. But even with all these advances, my hope will never lie in mankind’s ability to heal. The Lord keeps his eye on us. We depend on him for rescue.

Almighty and loving heavenly Father, You are the Great Physician, You are
the Deliverer, and You are the One who saves. As we live on this earth let our hope for rescue be always fixed in heaven.

In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon