Recently, after visiting Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, I had some time before meeting my daughter for dinner. I went for a walk and to my suprise went by The Upper Room Chapel. I decided to go inside and check it out. As I sat there by myself… I began to just weep and pray, I felt so overwhelmed with God’s grace and strength He had given me the last few days. I was so thankful for answered prayer for the family I had spent the day with at the hospital. I also began to reflect upon how God had been with me in the past. I recalled a series of messages that my pastor and mentor Paul Burleson did entitled “With Jesus In the Upper Room”, years before when I was a student in Texas. I remembered many other times that I sensed God’s presence in a powerful way.
I thought about what it must have been like for Jesus and his disciples at the last upper in the upper room. It was right before Easter, Jesus had a last meal with his close followers. Little did they realize that soon, Jesus would be crucified and then rise again from the grace that first Easter morning. His disciples were a lot like you and me, unique individuals with flaws, yet Jesus loved them anyway. I am so thankful for His amazing grace, love, power, forgiveness, guidance.
I have sensed His presence in a lot of different places, on the mountain top, by the sea shore, worship services in churches, in a parking lot, in my car, my home, etc… The truth, is we can sense His presence in a lot different places. He is not limited to location, if we will simply take time to talk to Him in prayer and take time to thank Him and praise Him. I was so thankful to find a quiet place in the middle of such a busy city to spend some time with Jesus… in the Upper Room.