“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27
One of the most popular hymns of all time is In the Garden by C. Austin Miles. You will find this wonderful classic in almost every hymnal. It is sung in worship, at funerals, and recorded by artists in various languages and styles. This hymn reminds us of the joy that comes to us as we connect with God. When we walk with God, we find peace. When we are intentional about connecting with our Lord, we find joy.
In the Garden was written by Miles while he was taking time, during a busy day, to read his Bible and pray. While studying, Miles was overcome with a vision of being in the garden on that wonderful Easter day when Jesus rose from the grave. Miles felt comforted by the vision as he realized that Jesus was not only present to the people in the garden over 200 years ago, but he is still with us today.
The resurrection of Jesus, God’s ongoing presence in our world, gives us comfort in the midst of loss and pain. The presence of our Lord in our lives brings joy and strength. Jesus reminds us that we are not alone. We can draw close to God and God will draw close to us. God’s presence is a comfort. With God, we find the “peace that passes understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
Miles understood the gift of God’s comforting presence. In an interview he stated, “It is the daily companionship with the Lord that makes up the Christian’s life.” Although the resurrection of Jesus was over 2,000 years ago, we still have the gift of being in His presence. Let us take time today to draw close to God, knowing that God will draw close to us.
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
