一名16歲青少女被判處50年徒刑，被單獨關押在最高戒備的監獄裡。因她未成年，必須與其他犯人隔開。在將近一年的時間裡，都沒人來探視她。在監獄裡舉行的一場佈道與洗禮聚會中，獄警讓一位事工領袖進到這青少女的牢房，傳福音給她。女孩聽聞福音後，決定把生命的主權交給耶穌，並請求受洗。起初，佈道團隊打算用幾瓶飲用水為她施洗，但沒想到獄方竟封鎖她所在的整個區域，把她帶到一個臨時搭建的洗禮池，接受洗禮。在眾人的禱告聲中，她潸然淚下。

雖然上帝宣告會審判那些拒絕祂的人，但祂也憐憫那些悔改的人，祂會讓投靠祂名的人得到拯救與保護（西番雅書3章10-12節）。當人願意悔改就會得救，因上帝「已經除去」我們當受的刑罰（15節）。先知西番雅傳講關於上帝、帶來盼望的信息：「祂在你中間必因你歡欣喜樂，默然愛你，且因你喜樂而歡呼。」（17節）

因此，我們可以帶著憐憫和信心傳揚福音，尤其是傳福音給那些認為自己離上帝太遠、無可救藥的人。無論我們身在何處，曾做過什麼，或感到孤單、被遺忘，或自覺不配，上帝依然愛我們，並且尋找我們。每一個人都在上帝的拯救範圍內。

Sentenced to fifty years in a maximum-security prison, a sixteen-year-old girl sat in solitary confinement. Due to her age, she remained separated from the other inmates. For nearly a year, she had no outside visitors. During an outreach and baptism held at the facility, the guards let a ministry leader enter the girl’s cell. She heard the gospel, surrendered her life to Jesus, and asked to be baptized. At first, the team considered using water bottles, but then the prison staff shut down the entire facility and led her to a portable baptismal pool. As God’s people prayed, she wept.

Though God promises to judge those who reject Him, He also extends mercy to those who repent. He restores and protects those who trust in His name (Zephaniah 3:10-12). Repentance leads to redemption, because God Himself “has taken away” the punishment we deserve (v. 15). Hope resounds in the prophet Zephaniah’s words about God: “He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (v. 17).

So we can share the gospel with compassion and confidence, especially with those who may feel they’re too far from God. No matter where we are, what we’ve done, or how alone, forgotten, or unworthy we may feel, God loves and pursues us. Every person is within God’s reach.