Life's Odyssey

King Solomon obtained the pine for God’s Temple from Lebanon. The most likely candidate for Temple pine is Pinus halepensis (Jerusalem pine, Aleppo pine). The strange-looking pine tree in the image below is in the Armenian Seminary Garden in Jerusalem. It is reputed to be the oldest pine tree that grows in nature in Israel.

Pines are an emblem of nobility.  In a person, noble means the person possesses excellent qualities of the mind, character, ideals, and morals.   Isaiah wrote, “But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds, he stands”.  From God’s perspective having a noble mind, character, ideals, and morals aren’t sufficient to be noble.  Nobility displays itself in deeds as we move through life’s odyssey, life’s journey.

Over two decades ago, I was a corporate manager.  A managers’ meeting included an education program on team building.  The speaker concluded, “Always look more at what a team member does than what she says.”  Probably, what Isaiah and the speaker were saying was, “noble is as noble does.” Noble people are more than noble ideals, plans, even seeming faith in God. Noble people produce excellent actions and deeds.  Christ said “By their fruits you will recognize them”.

Reflection.  Would people looking at your life conclude your deeds as noble?

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