雅各在与神的关系上经历了更新，但这并不意味着生活对他来说变得容易了。在他返回家乡的头几年，雅各经历了失去爱妻拉结和他父亲以撒的悲痛。
死亡是活在世上的每个人的现实。即使我们最亲密的人际关系也不能免受其影响。或许在你读到这里时，生命中正因为失去最爱而感到空虚。
即使是仰望神的人，也难免悲伤。它表明逝去的人对我们很重要。
但悲伤并不是结局。雅各继续活在神应许的盼望中，当他与和好的哥哥共同经历父亲逝世的悲伤时，他经历到了亲密关系带来的安慰。
然而，神赐给跟随基督信徒的是更大的盼望。因着耶稣的死而复活，我们相信神也会使在基督里死去的人复活（帖前 4:13-18）。我们会悲伤，但我们同时是在神应许的盼望中前进的人。
愿你今天也有这样的盼望。
父神啊，在面对死亡时，求给我们盼望。求你安慰一切忧伤的人，使我们深信你在耶稣基督里的应许，坚固我们。阿们。
创世记 35:16-20
16他们从伯特利起行，离以法他还有一段路程，拉结临产甚是艰难。
17正在艰难的时候，收生婆对她说：“不要怕，你又要得一个儿子了。”
18她将近于死，灵魂要走的时候，就给她儿子起名叫便俄尼，他父亲却给他起名叫便雅悯。
19拉结死了，葬在以法他的路旁。以法他就是伯利恒。
20雅各在她的坟上立了一统碑，就是拉结的墓碑，到今日还在。27雅各来到他父亲以撒那里，到了基列亚巴的幔利，乃是亚伯拉罕和以撒寄居的地方。基列亚巴就是希伯仑。
28以撒共活了一百八十岁。
29以撒年纪老迈，日子满足，气绝而死，归到他列祖那里。他两个儿子以扫、雅各把他埋葬了。
"Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath." - Genesis 35:19
Jacob had experienced renewal in his relationship with God, but that did not mean life became easy for him. In the first years after his return home, Jacob experienced grief from the deaths of his beloved wife, Rachel, and of his father, Isaac.
Death is a reality for everyone living in this world. Even our closest human relationships cannot be shielded from its power. Perhaps, as you read this, you have an empty place in your life left by the death of a loved one.
Grief is natural, even for people who have put their hope in God. It signifies that the person who has died was important to us.
But grief does not have the last word. Jacob continues to live in the hope of God's promise, and he experiences the comfort of human relationships as he shares the grief of Isaac's death with his reconciled brother.
But God has given even greater hope for believers who follow Christ. Because Jesus has died and risen again, we trust that God will also raise those who have died with faith in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We may grieve, but we grieve as those who move forward in the hope of God's promise.
May that hope be yours today as well.
Father God, give us hope in the face of death. Comfort all who grieve and sorrow, and sustain us with the confidence of your promise through Jesus Christ. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
