Part of the reason that parents are responsible for their children’s religious education is given here: “it was not your children (who have not known or seen the discipline of the Lord your God), but it is you who must acknowledge his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 11:2). Children often have startling insights; but they must rely on their parents to share with them a breadth of wisdom and experience that the youngsters have not yet had the chance to discover.

And so it will be the task of the parents to pass the stories of God’s grace along to their children. Moses reiterates what he said before (6:7): “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise” (11:19).

We should take note of the steadiness envisioned here. This is not about a one-time lesson where you just need to do it once and it’ll be done, and you’ll never have to repeat it. Instead, we are looking at a day-in-and-day-out verbal expression of religion: telling and retelling Bible stories, in the evening and in the morning, around the house and on trips away from home: and also telling about our own personal encounters with God’s grace.

It is a powerful testimony, when a parent shares in simple honesty, “This is how I have experienced God at work in my life. This is what I have seen. Here is a story about how I heard God speaking to me through the words of the Bible.” Alas, many parents are quite shy about saying such things, perhaps fearing that what we have to say will not be as articulate or impressive as something on television. Yet I suspect that our children will be more moved to hear our own words, stumbling as they may be.

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We have not been as steadfast or faithful as we should be, Lord, but we know we have genuinely encountered you. We have felt your presence, and sensed your call. Grant us a glad boldness in sharing our stories with our children, that the rising generation may seek to know you themselves.