“Karen’s Notes!
Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

Selected Notes
Volume 3 Number 41 “Camping on Mercy!”

October 28, 2020

I shared with you last week how Karen had fewer words, and I have, well, let’s say, I have an abundance of words! Many of you know that we met in the third grade and grew up together. In high school, our history teacher, Mr. Sutherland, gave us a test and included several essay questions. On Karen’s test paper he wrote, “Your answers are correct, but you need to add to them.” On mine he wrote, “You DO NOT have to write so much!”

As I was leafing through her Bible study journal, I discovered she was spending some extra time reading in the Psalms. She seems to have stopped at Psalm 145:3 and thought quite a bit about the greatness of the Lord. Everything the Lord revealed about Himself in this particular verse was wonderful to her. But she lingered on the thought of God’s mercy. It was like she pulled up, stopped and camped on this word.

Let me share the text with you. Then I’ll share what she wrote.

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:3, 8).

Karen circled the word “Great” in Psalm 145:3. In the margin she wrote the following: “Totally awesome. Cannot be put into words.”

In her Bible study journal, she jotted down several phrases as she thought about the “great mercy” of the Lord as found in Psalm 145:8.

Karen wrote: “God is merciful. God withholds what I really deserve!
His mercy is eternal. “The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalm 103:17).
He delights in mercy. “Who is a God like unto Thee…because He delights in mercy” (Micah 7:18).
His mercy makes my salvation possible. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Titus 3:5).
His mercy is incredible. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed” (Lamentations 3:22). God withholds what I really deserve!”

Michael’s observation: You will never hear me say, “Give me what I deserve!” I am so very grateful for God’s mercy. It makes me want to love Him more and extend it to others. How about you?