“My people have committed two evils, they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

I was born and grew up in a Christian family and even attended a Christian school, but I did not know anything about Christ. I thought that He was one of the many prophets who appeared in our world and gave us hard commandments to keep. I never thought that He came to redeem the human race—and that, even if I was the only person in this universe, He would still come to do the same thing, just for me.

Even though I had never studied the Bible and did not belong to any kind of religious group, one day I read a verse of the Bible from the book of Jeremiah the prophet. “My people have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, to hew for themselves cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13).

At that moment I saw my life from my birth to the unknown future. “I considered all my activities which my hand had done and the labour which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). I realised that there is no meaning in living a life far from the one who gave it to me, which is God. He is the light and the source of the living water. Life without Him is similar to the most beautiful ship, which gets lost in the storm on the great sea.

I asked myself what the meaning of this life is. Is it just established on working and earning money, so that I may be able to marry and get children? And then to help them to study and earn degrees in order to get the best jobs and to earn the best salary? And why? Just so that they may establish families and do the same things for their children, in order to continue this kind of life searching for the water which can satisfy their thirst?

I saw myself digging with other “cisterns that can hold no water.” While here, standing beside us, is the “fountain of living water,” knocking at our hearts, asking us to let Him in, that He may fill our thirst.

Dear friend, I did not resist the call. I was thirsty and refused to lie to myself. I realised that I was not able to receive forgiveness of my sins through good works, that I could not cover my old sins by cheating God through my good works. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. He must judge the sinner; so God, through His mercy, prepared a way to save us and to bring us back into fellowship with Him by stretching His hand to reconcile us. He didn’t count our past sins, for He had put the punishment of our sins on His righteous Son Jesus who, by His own choice, took our place on the cross—proving to the whole world that He loves us. And, knowing this, I can truly say, “greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Dear friend, “God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, having overlooked the time of ignorance” (Acts 17:30). For this kind of love, “whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). Today, through my preaching of the gospel and also through these written words, I cry to you and say, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water, and you who have no money come buy and eat. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good” (Isaiah 55:1).

Dear friend, I invite you to receive Jesus as your own saviour and Lord. Please pray this prayer with me with a sincere heart. “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your great love for me, the sinner. I thank you that you died for me at the cross, that I may receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Amen.”