Due to some of the events of the recent past, I want to post at least a two part series on my blog urging my readers to “consider nobility.”
Let me begin with a key verse that has been on my mind for many months. It is found in Acts chapter 17. Verse 11, speaking of the people Paul ministered to in Berea, states, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
This verse caused me to think a lot for months and months about whether some people are “more noble” than others. Not wanting to be the kind of person that prejudges people, this kind of made a conflict in my mind. Is there some quality that is inborn in certain people that is “more noble” than others just by virtue of something within them? That didn’t seem right since the whole counsel of scripture would seem to indicate that all of us are on a level playing field in God’s eyes. In fact, we are all born in sin since the fall and must be saved. So what does this verse really indicate? Since I was obviously missing something, that just goes to show that meditating on a passage of scripture, studying it and re-thinking it over time, is a good practice!
Over the months as I thought about this, I observed a lot about human nature. Isn’t it observable that some places seem to receive the teaching of the Gospel more readily than others? Aren’t some people just easier to get along with than others that you meet? Does this “noble” quality have something to do with that? I came to no real hard and fast conclusions—until this week.
My daughter, Rhiannon, just loves to study family history as I’ve mentioned before. Through the good records left by my grandma, (my father’s mother), we realized we could trace quite a long line of our family. They seemed to have been here “forever,” like the old joke, “they came over on the Mayflower.” Well, if they did, we can’t prove it, but the earliest record of our ancestral line shows the first one born in America in 1635, only 15 years after the landing of the Mayflower. That was kind of exciting. In studying further we could not trace this person any more. However, we did realize that the wife, one of our great, great, however many ‘greats’ grandmother’s line of people were easily traceable. Someone had already done the work and posted vast amounts of information on the internet about this family. More research done this week added a few more generations to our list. Since we last checked the reliable websites someone had posted more names and dates. We now have an unbroken list from my grandchildren back to the year 1221—24 generations! The amazing stories and history that go along with this made me think much more about this quality of “nobility.” I read and studied a lot this week in history books, on the internet, as well as meditating on this verse. I’ll share what I think I’ve discovered on the next post.Meanwhile, read that verse and think about it. See what the Lord speaks to you concerning "nobility." Blessings, LORI
Let me begin with a key verse that has been on my mind for many months. It is found in Acts chapter 17. Verse 11, speaking of the people Paul ministered to in Berea, states, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
This verse caused me to think a lot for months and months about whether some people are “more noble” than others. Not wanting to be the kind of person that prejudges people, this kind of made a conflict in my mind. Is there some quality that is inborn in certain people that is “more noble” than others just by virtue of something within them? That didn’t seem right since the whole counsel of scripture would seem to indicate that all of us are on a level playing field in God’s eyes. In fact, we are all born in sin since the fall and must be saved. So what does this verse really indicate? Since I was obviously missing something, that just goes to show that meditating on a passage of scripture, studying it and re-thinking it over time, is a good practice!
Over the months as I thought about this, I observed a lot about human nature. Isn’t it observable that some places seem to receive the teaching of the Gospel more readily than others? Aren’t some people just easier to get along with than others that you meet? Does this “noble” quality have something to do with that? I came to no real hard and fast conclusions—until this week.
My daughter, Rhiannon, just loves to study family history as I’ve mentioned before. Through the good records left by my grandma, (my father’s mother), we realized we could trace quite a long line of our family. They seemed to have been here “forever,” like the old joke, “they came over on the Mayflower.” Well, if they did, we can’t prove it, but the earliest record of our ancestral line shows the first one born in America in 1635, only 15 years after the landing of the Mayflower. That was kind of exciting. In studying further we could not trace this person any more. However, we did realize that the wife, one of our great, great, however many ‘greats’ grandmother’s line of people were easily traceable. Someone had already done the work and posted vast amounts of information on the internet about this family. More research done this week added a few more generations to our list. Since we last checked the reliable websites someone had posted more names and dates. We now have an unbroken list from my grandchildren back to the year 1221—24 generations! The amazing stories and history that go along with this made me think much more about this quality of “nobility.” I read and studied a lot this week in history books, on the internet, as well as meditating on this verse. I’ll share what I think I’ve discovered on the next post.Meanwhile, read that verse and think about it. See what the Lord speaks to you concerning "nobility." Blessings, LORI
I'm not ready to comment with any sort of intelligent response to the challenge posed, but I want to say how very appropriate this is for me. Our pastor is teaching a series on "A More Noble Way" right now and it is a subject I think about often. Looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! I hope what I have to say is helpful and I'd love to hear those sermons!
ReplyDelete