阅读经文 

今天这段出自西番雅书的经文，既抒情又美丽，它描述将有一天，神对祂的子民的看顾是如此亲密、如此完全、如此有力和如此美妙，以致我们听起来像在做梦那样。它唤起我们盼望将有一天，神的恩惠和慈爱会达到完全和不可思议的境地。

可是，我们都是堕落的人活在一个堕落的世界中，我们经历到悲伤、寂寞、沮丧和不公。我们需要明白，西番雅书大部份的篇幅都在描绘我们在噩梦中可能会见到的事情，它谈到神对世人的罪恶的审判、地上广泛和毁灭性的混乱、荒废和凄凉、黑暗和幽冥，（参番 1:2, 15）事实上，这些事听起来更像一场噩梦。

然而，因着神的信实，欢呼的日子必会来到。神动工呼召以色列的余民，叫他们忠心、谦卑和诚实地敬拜神。（参番 3:10-13）然后，神的慈爱、恩惠和欢欣的日子便来临了；在那一天，君王耶和华，“施行拯救，大有能力的主”，会像开怀的父母向所爱的孩子柔声唱情歌那样来拥抱和爱护我们。

就是在今天，在我们的主、君王和救主耶稣里，这个对未来的梦，也开始成为我们现实生活的一部份呢！

Today's reading from Zephaniah is lyrical and beautiful. It speaks of a coming day when God's care for his people is so close, so complete, so strong, and so sweet that it almost sounds like a dream. It evokes the hope of a future day when God's favor and love will be complete and wondrous.

But we live as fallen people in a fallen world. We experience grief, loneliness, frustration, and injustice. It may be good to realize that much of the book of Zephaniah speaks of things we might see in a bad dream. It speaks of God's judgment against human sin and evil, of sweeping and destructive chaos on the earth, of trouble and ruin, of darkness and gloom (Zephaniah 1:2, 15). In fact, it sounds more like a nightmare.

But finally, in God's faithfulness, a day of rejoicing comes. God works to call a remnant of people as faithful worshipers, humble and honest (3:10-13). And then comes the day of God's love and favor and delight. On that day the Lord and King, "the Mighty Warrior who saves," will hold us and love us like a delighted parent cooing love songs over a beloved child.

In Jesus, our Lord, King, and Savior, the dream of this future day begins to be part of our reality even now!