The Bible is replete with stories of men calling on the name of the Lord in good times and in challenging times. In his letter to the believers in Rome, the apostle Paul emphasized the importance of calling on the name of the Lord when he said, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom. 10:13). This is a very reassuring and encouraging statement for those who are troubled in life and need to be saved.
King Solomon described how powerful the name of the Lord is when he said, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). Indeed, the name of the Lord towers over any other name. As Creator-God, there is no other name that can be compared with his. He is El Shaddai, our God Almighty and he is El Elyon, our Most High God. As if these are not enough to describe how great our God is, he is also called Adonai, our Lord and Master.
No one else has a greater name than our God. The Psalmist said, “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens” (Psalm 148:13). To us who believe and are walking in righteousness, his name is our shield and fortress. We can trust his name to overcome our challenges and be able to live securely and safely. In the Bible, we can find the various names by which God is called, and these names portray his characters and attributes, namely:
Jehovah Raah – The Lord is my Shepherd. In his psalm, King David appropriately portrayed God as our Shepherd when he said, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3). He is our sufficiency as he takes care of our physical and spiritual needs. We are complete in Him.
Jehovah Rapha – The Lord that heals. When sickness and diseases come, they are terrifying and cause us to want a healer. But in his goodness, God did not wait for us to look for one but introduced himself as our healer saying, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you" (Exo. 15:26).
Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is there. When we are troubled, we long to have the presence of the Lord with us. How we wish that he will be where we are, to walk among us and deliver us from our enemies. It is comforting to know that he truly intends to dwell with us and be among us. After having Jerusalem measured, the Lord himself said, "And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There" (Ezek. 48:35).
Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will provide. When there is a need, God can quickly meet it if we have faith in him. When Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb for the burning offering was, he said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (Gen. 22:8). Indeed, God provided and “Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’" (Gen. 22:14).
Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is peace. When we have the Lord with us, we have peace. This peace is not only the cessation of hostility but inner tranquility, or a feeling of completeness or wholeness. When Gideon was visited by the angel of the Lord, he was full of fear for he thought that he would die having seen the face of the angel. “But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:23-24).
In the case of the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul emphasized the power of Jesus’ name when he said that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). In his own words, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:23). Therefore, let us put our faith in the Lord Jesus and trust in his name. Hallelujah!