Calling On God’s Name

I called on your name, LORD,

from deep within the pit.

You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!

Hear my cry for help!”

Yes, you came when I called;

you told me, “Do not fear.”

Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case!

For you have redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3:55-58

Parents take great care in choosing the right name for their baby. A child’s name is certainly important, but how much more important is God’s name? God’s name reveals his character. Calling on God’s name means remembering what kind of God we’re calling upon. Jeremiah faced the anger of those who had rejected God’s warnings of judgment. He called on the name of the Lord, asking him to represent him as both his lawyer and his redeemer. He asked the Lord to take up his cause and rescue him. The Lord answered him, coming to his defense and comforting him with these simple words: “Do not fear.”

What a privilege we have to be able to call upon the same God Jeremiah did! Our God answers those who call on his name, calming our fears and defending our causes.

• Dear Lord, plead my case and redeem me from . . .