God never abandons us. 

上帝永不离弃我们。

God . . . has been my shepherd all my life to this day. Genesis 48:15

一生牧养我直到今日的上帝。-创世记48章15节

When my son changed grades in school he cried, “I want my teacher for life!” We had to help him realize that changing teachers is a part of life. We may wonder: Is there any relationship that can last a lifetime?

我儿子在学校升班时，哭着说：“我一辈子都只要这个老师！”我们必须让他明白，换老师也是人生的一部分。或许我们会想：有什么关系是可以一生不变的呢？

Jacob, the patriarch, found out there is one. After living through many dramatic changes and losing loved ones along the way, he realized there had been a constant presence in his life. He prayed, “May the God . . . who has been my shepherd all my life to this day . . . bless these boys” (Gen. 48:15–16).

以色列的族长雅各就找到了一个这样的关系。他一生经历许多转折动荡，也失去挚爱的人，最后他终于明白在自己生命中，有一位始终对他不离不弃的上帝。他祷告说：“愿我祖亚伯拉罕和我父以撒所事奉的上帝，就是一生牧养我直到今日的上帝，……赐福与这两个童子。”（创世记48章15-16节）

Jacob had been a shepherd, so he compared his relationship to God as that of a shepherd and his sheep. From the time a sheep is born through its growth to old age the shepherd cares for it day and night. He guides it during the day and protects it during the night. David, also a shepherd, had the same conviction, but he highlighted the eternal dimension to it when he said, “I will dwell in the house of the  forever” (Ps. 23:6).

雅各是牧羊人，所以他将自己和上帝的关系，比拟为牧人与羊群。一只羊从出生、成长直到衰老，日夜都受到牧人的细心看顾。白日，牧人引导羊群；夜晚，牧人保护它们。大卫也是个牧人，也有一样的领受，但他更强调与上帝永恒的关系，他说：“我且要住在耶和华的殿中，直到永远！”（诗篇23篇6节）

Changing teachers is a part of life. But how good it is to know that we can have a relationship for life. The Shepherd has promised to be with us every day of our earthly existence (Matt. 28:20). And when life here ends, we will be closer to Him than ever.

换老师确实是人生的一部分，但知道我们可以拥有一份永远不变的关系，这是何等美好！耶稣这位大牧人已经应许我们，祂会常与我们同在，直到世界的末了（马太福音28章20节） 。当我们在这世上的生命结束时，将会与祂同住，直到永远。

Father, I thank You for being the Shepherd of my life. 

I praise Your faithfulness.

亲爱的天父，感谢祢成为我生命的好牧人。
因祢的信实，我赞美祢。

Genesis 48:8-16New International Version (NIV)

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israelreached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
    —may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”

创世记 48:8-16Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

雅各给约瑟祝福

8 以色列看见约瑟的两个儿子，就说：“这是谁？” 9 约瑟对他父亲说：“这是神在这里赐给我的儿子。”以色列说：“请你领他们到我跟前，我要给他们祝福。” 10 以色列年纪老迈，眼睛昏花，不能看见。约瑟领他们到他跟前，他就和他们亲嘴，抱着他们。 11 以色列对约瑟说：“我想不到得见你的面，不料，神又使我得见你的儿子。”12 约瑟把两个儿子从以色列两膝中领出来，自己就脸伏于地下拜。 13 随后，约瑟又拉着他们两个——以法莲在他的右手里，对着以色列的左手，玛拿西在他的左手里，对着以色列的右手——领他们到以色列的跟前。 14 以色列伸出右手来，按在以法莲的头上，以法莲乃是次子；又剪搭过左手来，按在玛拿西的头上，玛拿西原是长子。 15 他就给约瑟祝福说：“愿我祖亚伯拉罕和我父以撒所侍奉的神，就是一生牧养我直到今日的神， 16 救赎我脱离一切患难的那使者，赐福于这两个童子。愿他们归在我的名下和我祖亚伯拉罕，我父以撒的名下，又愿他们在世界中生养众多。”

整理：于姊妹