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)
