Tag: delight-in-God.com

Designed By The Almighty – The Dumbo Octopus

The Dumbo Octopus – Designed By The Almighty

Now I’ve seen everything!

Who ever thought an octopus could be described as “cute”?

Meet the Dumbo Octopus.

With its flappy ears (flippers, actually) and big soulful eyes, this little creature has captured the fancy of those who are lucky enough to see one up close.

 

And how about that name, “Dumbo Octopus.”

It does kind of look like “Dumbo” the Elephant from the Walt Disney film of long ago.

I never cease to delight in what God has created!

To know that every animal is designed by the Almighty, not by random chance or an accident, is humbling indeed.

This little one has a long scientific name that seems almost bigger than he is.

 “Grimpoteuthis”

When you pronounce it, it sounds like this:  “Grimp oh tooth this.”

Designed by the Almighty

 The Dumbo Octopus – NOAA Ocean Exploration1

The Dumbo Octopus can reach lengths of about 12 inches long.

They like to eat worms and other wiggly things that swim in the deep along the ocean floor (Helminstine).2

In the Bible, Psalm 104 (attributed to David) conveys the many wonders of the world that God created, including under the sea.

All glory to God!Psalm 104

Deep Dive

According to the Institute For Creation Research, a Dumbo Octopus was spotted swimming at a depth of about 21 thousand feet.

Now that’s deep!

It should be appreciated that the Dumbo Octopus has no high-tech submersible to house and protect it in those depths. It only has what its Creator gave it—the innate ability to thrive at those great depths. – James, J.S. Johnson, Institute For Creation Research.4

How humbling it is when we realize that the wonders and complexities of the creation around us lead us right to our Creator God.

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1Photo courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. November 19, 2019. Online Image. NOAA Photo Gallery. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanexplorergov/49203817176/in/photolist-2hXYqBs-2jsp69y-vcXdBp-nxFUAS-HaDW8D-GKstCA-M6NLAN-LHdtjs-LuNYZ-zfR4-8daU8S-zfR3-2jp5RY1-5HWhs1-atvdh1-5vWZVP-BgJv-2eDnx8-2eDnzk-9brE82-4xkYfi-4momfm-2eDnyK-2WdjX2-2jsRGjG-2jq7LFb-2jqvgwC-2joUX8d-4xkYwZ-aFTer8-2eDnwi-9vVvpb-eShSAu-ndWySt-6jrqSG-BByY-4Lrt8W-75wewg-4LnfFi-KfebxD-ajdhaL-2joHca9-4LnfEg-2jpw7nX-s2sNUH-4d4ANn-7MgSUu-6obpVp-4jLdhE-2jqbSpy

2 Quotation from Anne Marie Helmenstine (Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences) – science writer, educator, and consultant. “All About Grimpoteuthis, the Dumbo Octopus.” Courtesy of ThoughtCo. July 13, 2019. Web. Accessed 31, July, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/grimpoteuthis-dumbo-octopus-4160927

3 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

4 Quotation courtesy of The Institute For Creation Research. By James. J.S. Johnson, J.D., TH.D. From “Like Father, Like Son, in the Deepest Deep”, June 23, 2020. para. 10. Web. Accessed 29 July, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.icr.org/article/like-father-like-son-in-the-deepest-deep

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Facing Your Giants

Facing Your Giants

Why do Cicada killers have to be so darn big?

Research has it that these wasps can grow up to two inches long!

The stuff of nightmares.

giant cicada killers

Because it’s the cicada killers’ favorite time of year, I think I’ll stay out of the backyard for a while.

And speaking of giants . . .

See what I did there.  😉

It’s time to get serious because it seems like everyone is facing some pretty big challenges right now.

Dealing with a trial can feel pretty lonely at times, but God’s Word reveals that the Lord is always with us. 

I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel better.

To think that the Creator of the entire universe is just a prayer away.

Facing Your Giants Together With God

God is sovereign and all powerful.

He is bigger than any trouble you might be facing.

There is no problem that is so big that God is not bigger. There is no difficulty that is so hard that God isn’t capable of helping us through it, or fixing it for us. – Senior Pastor James Kaddis, Calvary Chapel, Signal Hill. 1

Look, I get it.

Our impatient human minds want God to fix things “now”, right?

It doesn’t, and never has worked that way.

God is not at our beck and call.

It’s frustrating, even devastating at times while we wait.

But . . . keep . . .  praying.

What we do have is the assurance that He will be with us through our circumstances.  

Facing Your Giants With Comforting Words From Psalm 121

facing your giants

Remember these comforting words from the Psalmist regarding God as the Keeper of Israel?

Now we, as redeemed Christians through Christ’s blood, are all His people.

Psalm 121

I will raise my eyes to the mountains;
From where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your protector;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.  – Psalm 121, (NASB).2

Don’t let the evil one distract you from prayer in the midst of a trial. He is the master of delusion and distraction.

Often we become apathetic in our lives until we face a severe storm. Whether loss of a job, health crisis, loss of a loved one, or financial struggle; God often brings storms into our lives to change our perspective, to shift the focus from ourselves and our lives to Him. – Paul Chappell, Senior Pastor and author.3

Regarding humility, Pastor Chappell goes on to say . . . 

Storms can bring fear, cloud judgment, and create confusion. Yet God promises that as you seek Him through prayer, He will give you wisdom to know how to proceed. The only way you will survive the storm will be on your knees. – Paul Chappell, Senior Pastor and author.4

My prayer is that this blog, Delight-in-God.com, filled with articles and collected bible verses and other inspirations, will encourage you in the challenging days ahead. 

Scoffers will mock us for emphasizing prayer, but let ’em.

God is still in control.

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1 From Kaddis, Pastor James, “Big Problems??? God is Bigger!!!” Courtesy of Calvary Chapel Signal Hill. YouTube Podcast, [6:22-6:25]. July 12, 2022. Web. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBRkqaMS_QA

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3-4 Quotations from Senior Pastor Paul Chappell, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

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Happy Easter 2022

Happy Easter 2022

Happy Easter 2022

He is Risen!

He is Risen indeed!

Every time I hear those words, whether it’s in church or being said among friends, I get goosebumps.

We have a risen Savior!

Recently, I saw a short video that was filmed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Could it be any better than this?Wishing You A Happy Easter 2022

Tell the world we have good news.

Our Light of the World, Jesus, is Risen!

May the wondrous Resurrection of our Savior be an encouraging reminder to all of us of His love and grace and promise of eternal life.

On behalf of Delight-in-God.com,

we wish you and your loved ones a very

Happy Easter 2022!

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What Delights God?

There Are Countless Reasons To Delight In God

countless reasons to delight in God

All of you smarties out there – can you name one of the largest numbers in the world?

Waiting, waiting.

Yea, I didn’t guess it either.

It’s a word I’ve never heard of (and I probably couldn’t spell it the first time I heard it!).

Here it is: googolplexian. 

Who comes up with these long words?

A googolplexian is a “1” with 100 zeros after it.

100 zeros!

That’s a lot of zeros, and some people will argue that there are even larger numbers than the googolplexian.

Even so, what really makes you think is that, as large as that number is, it doesn’t even come close to the number of reasons we can delight in God.

There are countless reasons!

God created you in the womb as the man or woman that you are.

That’s something to celebrate.

He knew you before you were even born!

Humbling, isn’t it?

One of the reasons I named this blog, “Delight in God,” is because I’m constantly learning new reasons to delight in Him.

What’s the point of good news if you don’t share it with anyone?

You can delight in Him, but have you ever thought about what delights God?

What Delights God?

What is it that delights God in us?

We can only get answers to that in Scripture.

Check out this verse in Proverbs.

What delights God?

Blameless?

Are you blameless?

That’s a pretty tall order because the fact is that we are humans, and anything but perfect.

Blameless doesn’t mean we never sin again. It means to walk with integrity with a commitment to follow through on anything God purposes us to do.

Lukewarm believers? They go to the back of the line. 

God is not looking for someone who hems and haws through life.

Sadly, we’re living in a world now where integrity is less important than worldly gain.

We must stand up and stand out against this secular delusion.

The man or woman who commits to embracing God’s truth will have victory with Jesus at the end of our days.

We are imperfect, yes, but we serve a perfect God and He will guide us.

He knows our hearts.

Are we ready to serve Him with integrity? Do our lives, ethics, and morality reflect His glory?

The world is watching.

It’s the integrity of the upright that will guide them. When God knows in your heart that you’re upright and walking in integrity, and you have the integrity to follow through and do it, then here’s the green light. He will guide you accordingly. – Pastor J.D. Farag, Calvary Chapel, Kaneohe.

He is with us every step of the way.

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1 From Farag, Pastor J.D., “Proverbs.” YouTube video, October 11, 2019. [9:24]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIMx6WuzbTk

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Skimming Past The Cubits

Skimming Past The Cubits

When I first became a Christian, I struggled reading through the Old Testament.

The intense battles, the complete brutality of mankind, the rampant idolatry (Sounds a lot like today.)

You know what they say about history – it repeats itself.

I’m completely amazed at God’s long-suffering patience and mercy towards us considering that we, the human race as a whole, continually turn against Him.

There’s a lot of information about those battles to take in, and besides that, there are the “cubits.”

The what-its?

Starting in Genesis, we read about the cubit lengths required for Noah to build the ark. These measurements were precise, per God’s specific instructions.

As mind-boggling as they can sometimes be, a “cubit” is a very real description of measurement used by ancient civilizations.

cubit - ancient measurement

More specifically, a cubit is an ancient measurement of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the longest finger. – Ark Encounter, Williamstown, Kentucky.1

Cubits appear in other Bible books as well.

Sometimes, I got lost in all of those figures. In essence, you could say that in my earlier Bible readings, I ended up skimming past the cubits.

But not now.

There’s nothing in the Bible, including the measurements, that aren’t important and purposeful.

There are many reasons to follow our Sovereign God’s instructions to the “T”, including showing our obedience and reverence to Him.

Delight In His Word

Reading the Bible is not only rewarding, it’s a complete joy for me. Thinking about the treasures in His Word has given me a lot of insight into God’s character. 

“We” are His.

Consider the following:

skimming past the cubits

Skimming Past The Cubits No More

If you’re a new believer, my advice to you is to not read through the Old Testament without a Biblical commentary.

There’s a great online, completely free, audio and written commentary from pastor David Guzik that you might like. It’s one of my favorites. His commentary starts at the bottom of the landing page. I’ll link to it right here!

These free resources can help you better understand the sometimes difficult-to-read Bible passages.

You’ll see for yourself the very practical applications for today.

Facing Our Giants

My dream has always been to go to Israel, but in the meantime, I found the next best thing.

There are some excellent Christian teachers who did travel thousands of miles to the Biblical locations where our readings took place.

How cool is that? 

Do you remember the account of David and Goliath in the Valley of Elah?

David and Goliath

Please read about this account of true events if you haven’t already. 

In 1st Samuel, Chapter 17, we read that Goliath – the taunting, freakishly tall, giant from the Philistine army – used to call out to the Israelites across the Valley of Elah to dare anyone to fight him.

No one stepped forward except for David (the shepherd boy).  He wasn’t a fighter in the traditional sense. Even so, he had a powerful weapon.

He was armed with a few smooth rocks, a sling, but even more importantly, the Lord God was on His side. David conquered that giant with a stone’s throw.

A miracle? You bet!

I thought you might enjoy the following lesson about David and Goliath – taught right in the actual location of the Valley of Elah.

I loved watching this!

Facing our giants may seem impossible, but as Christians we know that, nothing is impossible with God. 

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1 Description of cubit measurement, courtesy of Ark Encounter.  n.d. Web. Acccessed July 29, 2021. https://arkencounter.com/noahs-ark/cubit/

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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