In my book, an Alphabet of Promises, I use the alphabet as a mnemonic device for recalling 26 promises from Scripture. By tying each promise to a letter of the alphabet, adults, as well as children can memorize a large number of promises and have them readily available through all the twists and turns of life.

Here are some simple hints for learning each promise:

• Hearing the promise read aloud helps the audio learner. Seeing the illustration in the book and the promise in print helps visual learners. Adding creative hand motions with key words enhances retention for kinesthetic (tactile) learners.
• Focus on one phrase or line at a time. Allow each player to repeat the phrase in turn. When ready, add the next phrase, repeating all phrases in order until the promise can be repeated in its entirety.
• Consider teaching a promise or portion of a promise at mealtime. Review frequently. Recite the promises at bedtime, on road trips, while doing errands, and of course, while playing any number of games!

My friend, Shirley Rodgers, holds the opinion that if something is worth learning, it’s worth adapting to a game. Finding her challenge intriguing, I shared her list of games with some of my grandchildren and we adapted some familiar games for learning an Alphabet of Promises.

Obviously, different games will appeal to different ages and may need some additional tweaking to fit your specific situation. Some games work well for beginning to learn the promises while others are better suited once some or all of the promises are learned. Several games are designed to be taken to a new level as more promises are learned. I would love to know which games work best for you and any other games you happen to develop.

Games to Play to Learn an Alphabet of Promises:

Popcorn — While all players are in a crouched position, the leader says a phrase and then players pop up to recite the phrase. Continue playing, adding additional phrases until the entire promise has been learned.
After a few promises are learned, the leader can vary the game by calling out a letter so that the players pop up to say the entire promise, either as a group or individually.

Jump Rope – One player jumps back and forth across the rope as the reader prompts each phrase of the promise in rhythm to the jumps. All players repeat the phrases in unison until the promise is completed, at which time the player jumping across the rope begins to jump rope until missing a jump. (This can be adapted to single jump rope or a longer rope swung by two people.)
The same process is repeated as the next player takes his turn. When the promise becomes more familiar, the players can say the entire promise in unison with the reader, rather than repeating after the reader. Once a comfortable proficiency is attained, the reader can introduce a new promise in the same manner.
As more promises are learned, the leader can call out a letter to prompt the recitation of the promise while jumping the rope.
Another variation to consider, while two players turn the rope another player jumps in to recite the verse and then jumps out so that the next player can jump in to say the following promise through the alphabet.

Hide and Seek — Prior to hiding, the person playing “It” teaches a phrase or two of the promise. Rather than counting, the player who is “It” reads or continues to repeat the phrase or phrases loudly several times for the rest of the players to hear while finding a place to hide. Each player who can recite the promise when discovered, automatically gets “home free”.
Once the players are familiar with the pormises, the person playing “It” simply calls out a letter before seeking those who are hiding. If a player can recite the promise when discovered by the seeker, then that player automatically gets “home free”.

Catch – The leader says a portion of the promise with each toss of the ball. The person catching the ball repeats what the first player read or recited before returning the ball. Add a phrase as able until the entire promise can be repeated by the player catching the ball.
If more than two players, form a large triangle or circle and toss the ball from player to player, with all players repeating the phrase in unison or individually as prompted by the leader.
As proficiency is attained, the leader can recite the entire promise and all the players recite the promise in unison or individually as desired with each toss of the ball. When a number of promises are learned, the leader can prompt the player catching the ball by calling out only the letter linked to the promise. The person catching the ball then recites the promise before returning the ball.

Coming Soon: Games for Practicing an Alphabet of Promises

Another translation of this verse reads: “Commit your work to the LORD, and you will succeed.” In committing our work to the Lord, we are inquiring, involving, and depending on him to establish the plan that will succeed. This promise recognizes God as the highest power and carries with it the inherit understanding that he is by nature, interested in all things concerning our work for our ultimate good, regardless of the nature of the work. It’s sometimes hard for us to get our heads around the fact that God wants to be included in our lives, involved in such a way as to make us successful. However there is plenty of evidence to support this.

When David was made King of Israel, the Philistines were raiding the land. David inquired of the LORD, and God gave him specific instructions to circle around to the back of the lines and wait for a particular signal from God before attacking. David did as the Lord directed and succeeded in defeating the Philistines.                          (1 Chronicles 14:8-16)

When he wanted to build a Temple for God, the Lord gave him detailed plans but with one twist— it would be his son, Solomon, who would actually oversee the project, and it was done with great success.

When Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, he fasted, prayed, planned and prayed some more. God gave him favor with the king of Persia, the leaders of Jerusalem, and all the people in Jerusalem to work in a concerted effort to rebuild the wall in a record breaking fifty-two days in spite of huge opposition! (Nehemiah 1-6:15)

When King Hezekiah wholeheartedly sought the LORD in all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands… he was very successful. (2 Chronicles 31:21)

So we can easily conclude we can commit our battles, building programs, and basically anything to do with God’s laws and commands to the Lord and be assured of success.  However, some might question the validity of actually committing our “work” to God, suggesting work falls into that secular camp— with the exception of those in “full time” ministry who are clearly doing “God’s work”.

Somewhere along the line, we may have tried to compartmentalize our lives in such a way as to think some things fall into God’s court, and others fall into our court. Biblically speaking, there is no distinction between secular and sacred.

The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. (Psalm 24:1)

He is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36)

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

The lack of distinction between sacred and secular is further emphasized by the very fact the Hebrew word for “work” and “worship” is exactly the same! Work done in harmony with God, honors him and brings glory to him whether we’re scrubbing toilets or negotiating million dollar deals or leading worship.

In his book, God’s Pleasure at Work, Christian Overman relates the story of a man he calls, God’s Co-Worker. Born in 1865, the son of slaves, Dr. George Washington Carver, was the first black student to graduate from Iowa State College. At that time cotton crops had completely depleted the soil. A different crop like peanuts would replenish the soil, but there was no market for peanuts. So Carver set about the task of developing sufficient uses for the peanut to provide a market that would allow financial motivation to plant peanuts in order to give the land a rest from cotton.

Taking a handful of peanuts, he asked, “Great Creator, why did you make the peanut?” Each day when entering his lab, which he called God’s Little Workshop, he would lock the door behind him and draw close to God to discover God’s secrets as Carver proceeded to take the peanut apart and put it back together again.

Partnering with God, George Washington Carver developed 300 uses for the peanut and 118 uses for the sweet potato, giving God all the credit. In 1921 when the U.S. House Ways and Means committee asked Dr. Carver how he learned all these things, he replied, “I asked [God] what to do with the peanut and he did.” In summarizing the secret of his success, he said it was found in the Bible: “In all your ways acknowledge the LORD, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)

Frank Laubach developed a similar attitude about his work and also experienced great success. According to his journal, published in 1930 under the title Practicing His Presence, dissatisfaction with his life led him to experiment with a reorienting, revolutionary kind of prayer life. He purposed to line up his actions with the will of God, consciously listening to the inner voice throughout the day. The sense of cooperation with God was both astonishing and exhilarating to Laubach, who made a habit of asking, “What, Father, do you desire in this moment?”

In Soul Revolution, John Burke reflected on the amazing success record experienced during Laubach’s last forty years. Voted “Man of the Year” and considered by many as America’s single greatest educator, Laubach developed the program in which sixty million people were taught to read around the world, authored over fifty books, influenced reforms on injustice, poverty, and illiteracy throughout the world, while gaining a strong international presence in literacy, religious, and governmental circles. And yet, Laubach’s book relates the height of success was not all these accomplishments, but the reality of the nearness of God as he enjoyed his work in communion with the him.

This kind of inner dependence clearly marked Jesus’ earthly ministry. In fact, Jesus plainly stated it was never his words, work, or will, but that of the Father in him doing the work through him. Jesus abiding in the Father is our model for abiding in Jesus in order to have a fruitful life. This is why, committing our work to the Lord, will bring success that is truly fulfilling.

When I think about work in light of all this, I get very excited about the possibilities of partnering with God. How about you?

Getting saved is so simple, even a child can come to faith. In fact, it is childlike faith we are encouraged to develop. I love the trust expressed on the child’s face in the photo illustrating this promise in my book, an Alphabet of Promises. I am particularly taken with the captivated gaze. This is what I want my faith to look like. I want my gaze to be locked in on Jesus.

In answer to a man’s desperate plea, “What must I do to be saved?” he was told to believe in the Lord Jesus. This is the distinctive between biblical Christianity and every religion of the world. Religion has requirements, rules, and regulations to be met in order to achieve right standing. Biblical salvation, however, depends on the person and work of Jesus. All that we must do is believe. Of course, this is more than just intellectual assent.

In 1859, a Frenchman known by his fans as The Great Blondin, dazzled his audience as the first tightrope walker to cross Niagra Falls. Over the years, Niagra Falls became his favorite place to practice this early version of an extreme sport. Included among his many successful crossings was one in which he pushed a wheelbarrow. When Blondin asked the crowd if they thought he could do it again, the crowd enthusiastically roared their confidence. However, when he asked for a volunteer to climb into the wheelbarrow, there was utter silence. The crowd believed intellectually he could deliver, but no one was willing to demonstrate their faith by climbing into the wheelbarrow.

Obviously, there is a huge difference between giving mental assent and placing one’s trust in another. Believing in the Lord Jesus to be saved is the kind of faith that is willing to climb into the wheelbarrow. And yet, faith in Jesus is all that is required. It’s not Jesus plus the good stuff we should try to do. It’s not Jesus plus trying to measure up. It’s not Jesus after we get our act cleaned up. There is not one thing we can possibly do to add to the priceless shed blood of Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. The Bible assures us there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).

A friend recently acknowledged she knew salvation was only by faith, but questioned if she had enough faith to be saved. Just how much faith is required? Jesus talked about faith no bigger than a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds. However, it is not the amount of faith that saves, it is the object of our faith that is important. If the object of our faith is Jesus, then we can be sure that even the smallest amount sufficiently connects us to him who saves.

One day Jesus asked a young father if he believed. The father admitted there were limitations to his belief and answered, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” In other words, the man believed, but at the same time recognized he had doubts and perhaps areas in his life he was unable to entrust to Jesus. He wanted more faith. Since faith begins as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), it is appropriate to look to him to increase our faith. Even faith as small as a mustard seed grows exponentially when placed in Jesus.

Belief in Jesus gets us to heaven, but what about all the hard stuff in the meantime? How are we to live? Somewhere I got the idea it was up to me to live the Christian life. My performance based MO was so deeply entrenched that it never occurred to me my thinking was faulty. Even though I trusted Jesus to get me to heaven, I was depending on my own efforts to get me through each day. Eventually, I came to the end of myself and realized I could no longer delude myself into thinking I could cope with the hard stuff. I was exhausted by trying harder to measure up, to manage my sin, and to try to please God.

The truth is, we receive Jesus by faith, and we also live by faith (Colossians 2:6). It’s not up to us to live the Christian life. Only Jesus can live the life pleasing to God. But the good news is that he desires to live his life in and through us. This is the abundant life he came to give so that we can become more like him as we believe, not just to get us to heaven, but to get us through each day in the meantime.

I laugh now, thinking God wanted me for what I could do for him. In reality, he just wanted me. That is a staggering thought. To be loved apart from what I could do was very foreign to me. The truth is, God desires his unconditional love and acceptance be enjoyed in a continually growing relationship through faith in Jesus.

There is a great deal more to salvation than just getting to heaven. Jesus desires to save us from ourselves— our own religiosity, our own performance trap, our own fears, habits and hang-ups, and the multitude of ways sin can enslave us. During our struggles here on earth we always have the option to believe in Jesus so that we walk in the Spirit and not fall into sin. We will not do this perfectly, but we have all we need for life and godliness to have victory over any sin or difficulty as we trust Jesus to be our salvation in that moment. And for those times we fail, faith in Jesus even saves us from condemnation (Romans 8:1).

Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved from the penalty of all sins—past, present, and future.  Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved from the power of sin to walk in newness of life in the meantime. Believe in the Lord Jesus to one day be saved from the presence of sin when we leave these bodies. Our part is simply to believe. And whoever believes in him, will not be disappointed (1 Peter 2:6). He will do the rest, and therefore, gets all the glory.

Where do you place your confidence? In whom do you trust? If you believe in the Lord Jesus— you will be saved.

In recognition of today which is Good Friday, named in honor of Jesus’ sacrificial death, I painted this for the Inspired Arts Ministry at our church— Snoqualmie Valley Alliance.

Several weeks ago I was reading in the gospel of Mark about a conversation Jesus had with two of his disciples. Jesus asked the two brothers,  “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” As I considered this question, I quickly came to the conclusion that it would be impossible for anyone other than Jesus to drink that cup. The cup from which he drank represented His selfless, agonizing, sacrificial death on our behalf.

He left heaven on a rescue mission and came through time and space to take the form of a baby born of a virgin—so that he was fully God and fully human. He called himself the Son of Man because he came as a servant to all mankind, demonstrating a life lived in perfect submission and responsive obedience to his Father. He lived a sinless life, reflecting the perfection of the unconditional love and compassion of his Father in heaven.  He came to die as the vicarious atonement for our sins, fulfilling the just demands of a holy God who can never condone sin. He paid the penalty for our sins, providing forgiveness to all who believe. And he became the vehicle through whom, that, which was most offensive to God within us, could be crucified with Christ, freeing us from the penalty and power of sin over us who believe (Romans 6:6 & Galatians 2:20).

It was Jesus, drinking this cup on our behalf that made me want to do this painting. As I did, the song kept going through my head, which was taken from an old Gregorian chant and put to music by Isaac Watts in the classic hymn.

When I survey the wondrous cross— on which the Prince of Glory died;

my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God;

all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

When the Inspired Arts Ministry at our church invited art to be submitted illustrating some aspect of Henri Nouwen’s book, Can You Drink the Cup? I could not get beyond the image of Jesus being poured out as an offering on our behalf where “love and sorrow flowed mingled down.” But it is because Jesus first drank from this cup that we have the opportunity to drink from the cup of sorrows, blessings, and salvation discussed in Nouwen’s book. As for drinking from the cup to which Nouwen refers, I say, “Yes, by his grace, I am willing…” for “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

A is for apple, but in this little book, A is also for “all things.” Ever notice how very inclusive the word “all” is? Absolutely nothing is excluded. God uses all things, everything, with no exceptions in this fallen world to creatively, lovingly, sacrificially, orchestrate His goodness to flow forth specifically to us, who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The “all things” that come into our lives— whether things of our own choosing or at the hands of others or seemingly by random chance become the medium through which He can transform our lives.

The image of this darling little girl in deep thought holding an apple, takes my mind back to the garden in Genesis. Deception caused the first young woman to doubt God and to reason her way down the path of disobedience on that fatal day.

Deceived, she ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to her husband. Then Adam, defying God’s command, ignoring God’s lavish provision of food from every tree except this one particular tree, took the forbidden fruit and ate. This deliberate act of disobedience was a choice to be independent from God and was driven by a desire to be like God, apart from God. In that day, Adam and his wife experienced immediate death on the spiritual level.

When the Omniscient One asked, “Adam where are you?” He was not asking for directions; He was making the point that Adam was now separated from God. His next question, “Who told you that you were naked?” revealed more of what that death meant. No longer was God their point of reference; they were now under new management.

Furthermore, disconnected from their Creator they were vulnerable to emotions neither had previously experienced. Fear and shame sent the couple scurrying behind bushes trying to hide from God as they busied themselves in a futile effort to cover their fallen state.  Skewed thinking, self-centered choices, and irrational behavior were all by-products of being under this new management.

Paradise was lost and God’s original design for man was drastically flawed and corrupted, so that Adam became something altogether different than originally created by God. Consequently, as Adam’s descendents, each one of us comes into the world separated from God with our thinking skewed, our emotions vulnerable to fear and shame, our choices self-centered, and our bodies subject to disease and physical death.

The Bible tells us all of creation groans as a result of that fatal day in the garden. And yet, even on that day, in the midst of their rebellion against Him—God, in His love for them and us— had a plan of redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. It was a plan that would eventually crush the evil one who deceived the woman; a plan that would provide an amazing rescue mission; a plan that would impart true life and the power to live the life God desires in relationship with those who choose to respond to His loving kindness and live according to His purpose.

“All things” become opportunities to trust God for good rather than doubt Him as He was doubted in the garden; opportunities to look to Him rather than hide in fear and shame; opportunities to rely on God rather than our own schemes to try to make life work apart from Him; opportunities to embrace God rather than reject Him.

“All things” are opportunities for us to choose to believe that He will take the worst that is thrown at us in this fallen world and work it together for our good.

It is also dedicated to our children’s children. We have five beautiful grandchildren who are a delight to us. Their photos show up on a page or two in the book.

Furthermore, the book is dedicated to the child within each of us, because becoming as a little child puts us in a better frame of mind to receive and enjoy God’s promises. My hope and desire is that this little book of BIG promises will be a blessing to others as it has been to us.

But this blog is dedicated to those who want to share insights, thoughts, musings and comments on the various promises. I look forward to seeing what develops here. To God be the glory…

Actually the genesis of this project was about thirty years ago when our children were young. We went through a season when things that would go bump in the night or bad dreams would make sleep elusive for all of us. A list of promises from the Bible, each tied to a letter of the alphabet, became a way to turn troubled minds to more profitable thoughts.

Now, all these years later, the bad dreams are a thing of the past, but the alphabet of promises still resonate within each of us and have been a foundation for renewed thinking. I invite you to join me in this blog to explore a verse each week and to reflect on God, who keeps His promises.

I remember she adapted a portion of a catchy little song set to the tune of “Witch Doctor” (you know, the one Sha Na Na sang in the early seventies). However, she substituted the first of the nonsensical phrase “uhh eeh uh ah ah” with the names of the vowels— “A, E, I, O, U”, which happen to be the long sound each of the vowels make. Next came the familiar “ting tang walla walla bing bang” phrase of the little ditty. The second line called out the short sounds of the vowels, “ahh, ehh, ihh, ohh, uhh” followed with the words, “these are the vowels we’re learning”. The kids loved it and learned the long and short vowel sounds in no time.

Tying the letters of the alphabet to easily recognized images establishes the connection between the letters and the sounds the letters make. The following is a list I put together as an example of words that could be placed on flash cards. Vowels are represented in this list with words corresponding first with the long sound, which pronounces the name of the letter. The second word is an example of the short sound the vowel makes.

To teach the sounds of each letter, consider making flashcards using images suggested by each of the following words tied to letters of the alphabet.

A – acorn, apple

B – boat

C – cat

D – dog

E – eagle, elephant

F – fox

G – grass

H – helicopter

I – ice, igloo

J – jump rope

K – kite

L – lion

M – mouse

N – nut

O – Ocean, olive

P – pancakes

Q – (almost always comes with her friend “u”) queen

R – rabbit

S – sun

T – tent

U – unicorn, umbrella

V – violin

W – window

X – x-ray

Y – yarn

Z – zebra