Jesus Walks with You

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalms 23:4

Charles had always believed in God, but he had never felt His presence quite like this.

One evening, he sat in his study, flipping through his well-worn Bible, and found himself lost in the story of Mary Magdalene. Closing his eyes, he let his imagination take over.

He pictured her standing in a garden, heartbroken. He could almost hear the rustling leaves and feel the damp earth beneath Mary’s feet as she wept outside of Jesus’ empty tomb.

She thought everything was lost. Through her tears, she barely noticed the man standing near her—until He spoke.

“Mary.”

It was one word. One moment. One voice she never thought she would hear again. It was Jesus, and that changed everything! He had been there all along, closer than she had realized.

Charles leaned over his desk, and in that instant, the presence of God was so real to him. It was so close. It was as if he himself were standing in that garden. He could even feel Mary’s heart leap as she realized—Jesus was alive.

His own heart pounded because this wasn’t just Mary’s story. It was his along with every believer’s story. Inspired, he reached for a pen and began to write a hymn.

” I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses…And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own…”

Over the years, “In the Garden” became more than just a song. It played at funerals, in church pews, and in hospital rooms where the weight of the world felt unbearable. The words were a reminder that Jesus was always near.

Perhaps today, you too feel like Mary, searching for hope, wondering where God is. Please know this—He is with you. When the weight of the world feels like too much, and when you can’t see the way ahead, He is there, closer than you think.