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)
