Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
There are some questions that preach before a preacher ever opens his Bible. When J. B. Coats sat beside the bed of a dying neighbour named Joe Keyes and asked him if he knew where he would spend eternity, the old man’s answer was simple, honest, and full of truth: “Where could I go but to the Lord?” That one question carried the weight of a lifetime. It was not just the answer of a dying man; it was the confession of a soul that knew there was no better place, no safer place, and no other place to turn than unto God.
Life has a way of bringing us to that same question. Where do we go when our heart is heavy? Where do we go when the doctor gives troubling news? Where do we go when the future feels uncertain, when friends fail, when strength is gone, when the road ahead is dark? We may try to lean on our own understanding, but it is never strong enough to hold us. We may look to people, possessions, plans, or pleasures, but none of them can save the soul or satisfy the heart. At the end of it all, the answer remains the same: where could I go but to the Lord?
Peter understood this when many walked away from Jesus. The Lord asked His disciples, “Will ye also go away?” Peter did not pretend to understand everything. He did not claim the road was easy. But he knew enough to say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” That is faith. Faith does not always have every answer, but it knows where to turn. Faith knows that Christ is enough in trouble, enough in sorrow, enough in uncertainty, enough in life, and enough in death.
And one day, perhaps sooner than we think, the Lord Jesus will come again. The words are still true: “Look up, for Jesus is coming at a moment when ye think not.” The question is not only where we can go in our troubles, but whether we are ready to meet Him. If our hope is in religion, works, goodness, or anything of ourselves, we are standing on sinking sand. But if our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, His shed blood, His finished work, and His promise of eternal life, then we can face today, tomorrow, and eternity with confidence.
So whatever this day holds, run to the Lord. In weakness, go to Him. In fear, go to Him. In gratitude, go to Him. In your final hour, go to Him. There is no Saviour like Jesus, no refuge like His presence, and no hope like His promise.
Related Sermons
Take a few moments today and ask yourself honestly: where do I run first when trouble comes? Let the answer of Joe Keyes become the testimony of your own heart: “Where could I go but to the Lord?” Make Christ your refuge today, and be ready for His coming.
"It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man." — Psalm 118:8
Daily Scripture Reading
Join us as we read through the Bible in one year, growing together in God’s Word day by day. Click on any underlined verse to access Pastor Burns’ helpful study notes and deeper insights.
Psalm 7-8
(Psalm 8)
John 7:28-53
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
