The New England Primer was published in
the late 1600s. Throughout the colonies that would later become the United
States, the book became a widely used resource.
This early American textbook was based
largely on the Bible, and it used pictures and rhymes based on Scripture to
help children learn to read. It also included prayers like this one: “Now I lay
me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I
wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
In Colonial America, this became a way
that one generation was able to pass along their faith to the next generation.
It fit well with what God wanted of His people, the ancient Israelites, as
recorded in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “These words which I command you today shall be
in your heart. You shall teach [God’s commandments] diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them . . . when you walk by the way, when you lie
down, and when you rise up.”
As we talk about who God is, what He has
done for us, and how He desires our love and obedience, our lives can become
primers to the next generation. We can be teaching tools that God will use to
help people in their walk with Him.
When we teach others, we’re not just spending time,
we’re investing it. (RBC)
