I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.   Psalm 121:1-3

This Scripture brings to mind the lyrics of a song, which says “Where could I go but to the Lord? Seeking the refuge for my soul, needing a friend to save me in the end, where could I go but to the Lord?” This song was written by James Buchanan Coats. Mr. Coats was born April 6, 1901 in Summerland Mississippi. The inspiration for this song came as Mr. Coats sat beside a dying neighbor and friend, an older African American man. Mr. Coats asked him where did he think he would spend eternity. The older man replied, “Where could I go but to the Lord?” Years later Mr. Coats wrote the song while teaching at a singing school. This question posed is a reminder that whether we are facing our best of days, our worst of days, or our final leg of our journey, we can go to the Lord.

Oftentimes life is overwhelming. We can easily become distracted from the Lord with feelings of frustration. We may experience sadness, anger,  and disappointment. We may find ourselves under a great deal of pressure. But, no matter what we face, we can go to the Lord. We can find rest in the Lord.

When we are weary and burdened, we are told in Matthew 11:28 that when we can come to Him, He will give us rest. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and shall not faint.

When we are facing a battle, He will fight for us (Proverbs 21:31 and 2 Chronicles 20:15). Both the battle and the victory belong to the Lord. Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that He is God, He will be exalted.

When we experience fear, we can turn to Him. We are told in Isaiah 41:10 not to fear or be dismayed for He is our God and He will strengthen us. He will help us and uphold us with His righteous hand. We are told in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble, but to be courageous because Jesus has conquered the world.

My friend, if you are trying to navigate the shark infested waters of this life without Jesus, you are unprotected in a dark, scary place. Jesus is our protector. He promises His protection in Psalm 91. Verses 1 and 2 say, “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the Shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” We are not promised His protection, His rest, His salvation or any of the other great promises found in His word unless we come to Him. These promises are for those who believe in Him and accept Christ as their savior. Without Him, we are on our own.

I have tried to do it my way and I can tell you that it didn’t work out so well. Since I’ve committed myself to Christ, I’ve had some days that weren’t so great. I’ve had times when I just wanted to run away from it all. But then I realized that I could run to Him. He brings to mind His promises to me and helps me to realize that this is just a trial being used to strengthen me.

We all have days when we find ourselves saying the old slogan for Calgon, “Calgon, take me away.” God may not take us away, but He will bring us through. Whether you are walking through the fire or the flood, He will be there with you. You need only to turn to Him, trust in Him and commit your life to Him.

In any day good or bad, there is no other place for me to go, but to the Lord. I know where my help comes from and I regularly call on Him. I praise Him in the good times and cry out to Him in the not so good times. He is always there for me.

He is always there for you too, if you are willing to trust Him. Once you go to the Lord and give it all over to Him, you will realize that there is nowhere else you could go, but to Him.

Have a great day!