Listen And Learn

In 2012, Brooklyn’s Mike Matthews was at work when one of his coworkers came into the office, lamenting a recent breakup. As she opened up to him, a singular thought crossed his mind: She needs to talk to Grandma Eileen. Matthews’ grandma lived in Seattle, and his coworker had never met her, but he gave her Eileen’s phone number anyway. “She said, ‘Mike, that's so weird. You want me to call your grandma?’” he recalled in a social media post. Well, yes. On Monday, the coworker returned to the office with a spring in her step. Eileen had lifted her spirits, and their first call was the start of a series of regular dispatches. But it wasn’t just a relationship that blossomed with Matthews’ coworker. “I set up a little lemonade stand, put a laptop on it, noise-cancelling headphones,” he told ABC 7 last year. “And then I would place it somewhere in the city, and then my grandma could virtually meet anyone in New York City that was walking by.” That was the birth of the Grandma Stand. For six years, Eileen called in and spoke with thousands of complete strangers, until she passed away in 2018 at the age of 102. “My grandma had so much love to give, and every person who talks to my grandma feels elevated, feels seen, feels heard,” Matthews told ABC 7. “And she also benefited, like she felt like she was valued.”*

Thank the Lord for the wisdom of grandmothers and grandfathers. While there are exceptions, in most cases the accumulation of years and experiences yields a wealth of wisdom and insight that can be shared with others. But sadly, too many today ignore the elderly and push them to the side. Perhaps the Lord anticipated this tragedy and included this instruction as part of the Old Covenant: “You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:32).

Listen to Grandma. It’s good for you.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.goodgoodgood.co

Religion As Entertainment

“But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.’ They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them” (Ezekiel 33:30-32).

Apparently, religious activity as entertainment is not a new problem. Ezekiel’s fellow exiles talked a good game. “Didn’t Ezekiel share a great lesson last week! Let’s go hear another word from the Lord!” As they gathered to hear him, perhaps they nodded in agreement and offered the occasional “Amen! Preach it, brother!” But when they returned home, it was business as usual. They “heard” God’s word but didn’t “do” anything about it. Or, worse yet, they “heard” the right thing but chose to continue to “do” wrong things. As the text says, they continued to “...do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel’s prophetic word from God was just so much entertainment, like any other beautiful voice or accomplished instrumentalist. Enjoyable at the time, but not life-changing.

I pray that God helps me to hear AND do what He says. James says it this way: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves…But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22,25). May hearing the word of God never become merely another form of entertainment for me. 

God loves you!

Mike

Melodious Medicine

“From the brain to the heart, singing has been found to bring a wide range of benefits to those who do it, particularly if they do it in groups. It can draw people closer together, prime our bodies to fight off disease and even suppress pain…"Singing is a cognitive, physical, emotional and social act," says Alex Street, a researcher at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research who studies how music can be used to help children and adults recover from brain injuries. Psychologists have long marvelled at how people who sing together can develop a powerful sense of social cohesion, with even among the most reluctant of vocalists becoming united in song. Research has shown that complete strangers can forge unusually close bonds after singing together for an hour. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are clear physical benefits for the lungs and respiratory system from singing. Some researchers have been using singing to help people with lung diseases, for example…But singing also produces other measurable physical effects. It has been found to improve people's heart rate and blood pressure. Singing in groups or choirs has even been found to boost our immune function in ways that simply listening to the same music cannot.”*

How about that? Not only do we sing to honor and praise the God of heaven but it is also good for us! The God Who created us included wiring that allows us to enjoy health benefits from singing. No wonder we are encouraged so often to participate.“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders” (1 Chronicles 16:9). “Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day” (1 Chronicles 16:23). “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy…” (Psalm 5:11). “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me”

(Psalm 13:6).

So go ahead and sing. It’s good for you!

God loves you!

Mike

*bbc.com; “Why singing is surprisingly good for your health”; 12-1-25

The Gods Of Success

“Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the LORD. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel” (2 Chronicles 28:22-23).

King Ahaz was one of the most evil leaders of the southern kingdom of Judah. His father, King Jotham, had been a good king (2 Chronicles 27:2-6) but the son didn’t follow in the steps of the father. The Bible reveals some of his wickedness: “But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree”

(2 Chronicles 28:2-4).

As the opening text of this article makes plain, part of the problem of pursuing evil in our lives is that it dulls our senses when we face times of trial. When King Ahaz was facing invasion by hostile armies and failed alliances (2 Chronicles 28:5-8,16-21), he foolishly chose to bow down to the “god of success” rather than to the true God of heaven. Did you notice his reasoning? “The gods of Aram must be right because they are successful and I’m not.” But beware! As the saying goes: “All that glitters isn’t gold.”

The temptation to make life decisions based on the success of others is pervasive and dangerous. “He’s rich so he must be doing something right.” She’s at the top of her profession so her methods for getting there must be praiseworthy.” But both statements are drawing unnecessary conclusions. Success without submission to God is ultimately fleeting. Ahaz learned that lesson too late.

God loves you!

Mike