Painless?

September 16th, 2023| Topic: RaMbLeS | 2

Karl Barth, the theologian, believed that Mozart would be what was playing in heaven:

I even have to confess that, if I ever get to heaven, I would first of all seek out Mozart and only then inquire after Augustine and Thomas, Luther, Calvin ….”

He was wrong, of course. It will be Bach.

In any case, Mozart has his benefits. Even among the newly born, it seems. As they declared in “Music for Pain Relief of Minor Procedures in Term Neonates,” published recently in Pediatric Research. The researchers, from multiple universities across the USA, assessed the effectiveness of music intervention as an adjuvant in relieving acute pain in term newborns undergoing minor painful procedures.

This randomized, controlled, blinded trial included any term neonate undergoing heel prick as part of routine newborn screening for conditions such as jaundice and phenylketonuria. A total of 100 neonates were enrolled. Both control and intervention groups received 0.5 ml of oral sucrose (a sweet sugar solution ) two minutes before the trauma was inflicted. 54 of the 100 kids were exposed to a Mozart lullaby via bedside speakers for 20 minutes prior to the heel prick, during the procedure, and for 5 minutes afterwards.

Pain was measured using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) at one-minute intervals, based on the infants’ facial expressions, degree of crying, breathing patterns, limb movements, and levels of alertness. Investigators were blinded using noise-canceling headphones that played random music, so they didn’t know what was playing for the tiny tots.

And guess what? The Mozart-ed group was found to have significantly lower pain scores!

What an idea! Keep Mozart at your right hand. And enjoy a painless life.

No, not really.

It is those who don’t keep God before them that are going to be pained!

Their pains will increase—those who espouse another [deity].
Psalm 16:4

Interestingly “their pains” is ‘atstsvotam in Hebrew; “idols” is ‘atstsvim. In other words, their pains increase as their idols multiply!

As for the children of God— believers in Christ, their only God and Savior—they echo the psalmist:

I said to Yahweh, “My Lord, You [are];
my good, none besides You.”
Psalm 16:2

“My Lord” is “my good!”

And the one who makes this confession will not partake in false worship with the godless.

I shall not pour out their libations of blood,
and I will not take up their [idols’] names on my lips.
Psalm 16:4

Instead,

Yahweh is the portion of my share and my cup—
You, the One who holds on to my lot.
Psalm 16:5

The painless blessing of God follows, earthly blessing:

The boundary lines have fallen to me in pleasant [places];
yes, the inheritance is beautiful for me.
Psalm 16:6

And so …

I have set Yahweh before me continually;
because [He is] at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is joyous and my inner being jubilates;
yes, my flesh will abide in safety.
Psalm 16:8–9

God is “before” the psalmist, i.e., in front of him, and “at [his] right hand”—everywhere, and all around, surrounding every limb and member and appendage of the one devoted to God! No longer is it land, financial benefits, or other tangible assets that he sees as a gift of God, but the very presence of God himself.

Perpetual painlessness—and in every part of the body: “right hand,” “heart,” “inner being,” “flesh,” ….

You will make known to me the path of life;
fullness of joy [is with] Your presence;
pleasures in Your right hand perpetually.
Psalm 16:11

God (+ a bit of … Bach) = no more pain!

SOURCES: Pediatric Research; News-Medical