The God Who Has Shepherded Me All My Life Genesis 48:12–16

The God Who Has Shepherded Me All My Life

Genesis 48:12–16

What will people remember at the end of their lives?

Many people talk about their accomplishments.

Some speak about their successes.

Others talk about their failures.

Still others speak about their regrets.

Yet in Genesis 48, as Jacob approaches the end of his life, he speaks differently.

Looking back over his life, he describes God in this way:

“The God who has shepherded me all my life to this day.”

Then he continues:

“The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil.”

These words are especially remarkable because Jacob’s life was far from easy.

He deceived his brother Esau.

He lived as a fugitive.

He was deceived by his uncle Laban.

He lost Rachel, the wife he loved.

He spent many years grieving because he believed Joseph was dead.

His life was not a smooth or comfortable journey.

Yet at the end of his life, Jacob does not speak about

“the people who hurt me.”

He does not speak about

“the events that made my life difficult.”

Instead, he speaks about God.

And he calls Him

“the God who has shepherded me.”

Like a shepherd caring for his sheep,

like a parent feeding and raising a child,

God had cared for Jacob throughout his entire life.

Only now does Jacob fully see it.

God was with him in the wilderness.

God did not abandon him during the nights of sorrow.

God rescued him in times of trouble.

God remained faithful through every season of his life.

We often focus on our present problems.

Because of that, we sometimes fail to see God’s hand at work.

Yet when we look back, we discover that God has never abandoned us.

Jacob’s words are more than a simple expression of gratitude.

They are the conclusion of a lifetime of faith.

It is as if he is saying:

“When I look back on my life, I can see that it was God who fed me.

It was God who protected me.

It was God who brought me safely to this day.”

May we also be able to make the same confession.

“Lord,

I stumbled many times,

but You held me up.

I lost my way,

but You guided me.

I was afraid,

but You protected me.

You are the God who has shepherded me all my life.”

This is one of the most beautiful confessions a believer can make.