Read
Remember the days of old;
consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
your elders, and they will tell you.
Deuteronomy 32:7
Reflect
As a child, I lived in Pennsylvania for a couple of years. We used to take field trips to historic sites such as Valley Forge and the Liberty Bell, and I remember thinking that those trips literally took hours. It surprised me when, years later, I retraced some of those steps and learned that I lived only minutes from Valley Forge and less than an hour from downtown Philadelphia. And I only learned within the last few years that a battle that became a major rallying cry in the American Revolution happened just five miles from our house in Berwyn.
The Battle of Paoli was fought on September 20, 1777, and it became better known at the time as the “Paoli Massacre.” British troops launched a surprise nighttime attack on an American encampment and used bayonets and swords in close combat. The Americans suffered roughly 272 casualties, including 53 killed, while the British suffered only 11. The Americans viewed the British tactics as treachery, and for the rest of the war they used the battle cry, “Remember Paoli,” to stir up the passions of soldiers during battle.
It’s amazing to me that I never learned about this battle in spite of living just around the corner from the battlefield. And we lived there during the bicentennial year of 1976, so you’d think that we would have heard something about it. It wasn’t until 45 years later that I found out about this event as I researched on my own.
Honestly, it really shouldn’t surprise me at all. Today, I encounter students every day who I assume should know so much more about certain events. I had a student tell me recently that we shouldn’t teach them about the negative events of history because they bring up too many painful memories. She said that things like the terrorist attacks of September 11 should be left in the past. Sadly, whatever the reason might be, many of the students I encounter know very little about that day — and it happened only 25 years ago. How much less do they know about things that occurred more than 200 years ago?
The principles regarding the teaching of history also apply to the way we teach our children about the things of God. Throughout history, the Lord has revealed Himself in the lives of His people again and again. But His people have often neglected to teach their children and grandchildren about the faithfulness of God. When that faithfulness is not passed from one generation to the next, later generations can quickly forget what God has done and begin pursuing their own path apart from Him.
Moses reminded the children of Israel repeatedly to teach their children about the Lord’s faithfulness. He wanted them to make sure that the things the Lord did to take them from slavery to the Promised Land were celebrated and never forgotten. It’s amazing that after the people arrived in Israel, their descendants were already struggling with the worship of pagan gods within a generation or two. When the story of God’s faithfulness was not faithfully passed along, future generations increasingly forgot what He had done.
The same pattern can play itself out today. God has been faithful to Christians throughout history, and our own national history is filled with hardship, sacrifice, recovery and blessings that many younger people know very little about. Many young people I encounter also have little familiarity with church, Scripture or the Christian faith. To them, God and Jesus may be more familiar as words used in profanity than as the foundation of a faith that has shaped the lives of generations before them.
Today, I pray that if you have children, you are teaching them well about God’s faithfulness. God has done so much for each of us, starting with what He did to allow for our salvation and eternal life. If we want there to be a Christian heritage within this country — and around the world — it has to start in our own homes and communities. Tell your children about what God has done for you. Share with them the deeds of His love and faithfulness. If you don’t, how will they ever know — and how will they ever come to love Him themselves?
Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
