This post was last updated on January 11, 2026

Day 317, Year 1

The Result of Calling Upon the Lord in Truth

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18 NASB)

God has chosen to have a name like earthly people. Jehovah or Yahweh means “the One who lives forever.” In the New Testament, the name Jehovah is generally replaced by “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ.” “Jesus” means “he saves,” while “Christ” means “anointed one, or anointed king.” The substitution of “Jehovah” with the name of Jesus or “Jesus Christ” is found in the New Testament, such as in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. As a result, Christians often call on the name of Lord Jesus Christ in place of Jehovah instead. In my opinion, God’s chosen names are a genuine demonstration of His humility, because He has chosen just a few names among thousands on earth.

The word “call” in today’s verse, qa’ra in Hebrew, here also means “uttering a loud sound, crying (for help), summoning, inviting, or calling for.” This word implies a huge distance between God and humans. There are even scriptures that point out God often hides Himself from humans. Indeed, it is very difficult for us to experience God without continuously seeking and praying to Him. No longer after Adam and Eve sinned, the Spirit of God departed from all mankind (Genesis 6:3). Since then, God has been remote to most humans. Thus, anyone who wants to experience God needs to cry out to Him unceasingly, always praying to draw near Him and enter into His presence.

The word “truth” in the verse is the word ’emeth in Hebrew. There are many who do not pray to God with sincerity, but there are still a few who do. However, only a very small number of them are persistent and sincere in desiring to draw near to God and receive His actual help. I understand that truth or sincerity in the scripture can also be divided into long-lasting sincerity or short-term sincerity. Those who call on God for a while might be out of some short-term needs or problems. Whether they get help from God or not, they soon turn away from Him. Whether these are true believers is debatable. On the contrary, those who have been crying to God for a long time are the ones who truly believe in Him. The Lord will help us from time to time to reveal His true nature, and the lives of believers can be changed in a lasting way. To sum up, today’s scripture encourages us to keep calling on God. When He approaches us, He can grant grace to us and thus make wonderful changes in our lives.

Reflection questions:

1) Are you always willing to pray to God for a long time, to ask Him to be near, and show you His truthfulness?

2) Try to find a quiet time to pray, calling on God, and revealing His heart to you. Find a way to write down your prayers and what you receive from Him.