The Lord is Near

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

I read this verse yesterday and stopped. What does that even mean—to call on Him in truth? Can we call on Him untruthfully? Is it sincerity of heart? Can we call on Him with expectations in our hearts? Or is it laying everything down in humility?

I began researching and this is the Becky translation:

The Lord is intimate with those who cry out, those who read or recite, those who cry out using the name of God. The Lord is near and intimate with those who cry out to Him in truth—speaking and reciting the truth, ready to receive and give the truth. He’s near to those who come to Him humbly, truly seeking—someone who wants and is desperate for truth! To those…He is near. He is your Kinsman. 

Can you imagine this little sheep being in trouble and crying out? His shepherd is looking for him and comes running with that cry. If the lamb was willfully content and going his own way, he would never cry out. But at that cry, the shepherd comes running. That’s what happens when you cry out in truth.