In Psalm 1:1-3 we come across, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.”
There is an old hymn that I recall from my youth that has the refrain:-
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
In reality the number of our blessings are countless. I recently came across the words, “The optimist says, the cup is half full. The pessimist says, the cup is half empty. The child of God says; My cup runneth over.” But I ask the question, is it true that Unconditional love is limitless…yet it can also have boundaries. It would seem that this is what Psalm 1 is saying.
N.T. Wright, the prominent New Testament scholar, emphasises that God's love, while unconditional, is not boundless. His love is directed specifically towards those who respond to the gospel and enter into a covenant relationship with him, forming the "people of God." This relationship is characterised by a love that transcends ethnic and social boundaries, uniting believers in a new humanity.
Loving Father, it is my desire that I too walk in Your ways and keep from foolish compromise with the world system. Keep my heart set on the Lord Jesus so that my thoughts are not influenced by the mindset of this current age. May I be like the one planted by Your many rivers of grace and love, joy and peace. May Your mercy and compassion flow through me to those around me, in the place where you have planted me. In Jesus' name, AMEN.
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