By Nancy Johnson

Before I was saved, I went through 14 years of sickness and hopelessness that ended in critical care at the hospital. It all changed when I gave my heart to Jesus. He came bounding in and made me a brand new creation. Jesus told me: “Nancy, you are brand new, you have no reason to even consider the old identity or your past anymore. I can turn this thing around! I am a present God. Right now, my heart beats in your heart and my breath flows into your lungs. You are now living, moving, and having your being in Me.” (Acts 17:28)

A brand new life seemed impossible to me. But God! Every day He took me on an incredible journey. This meant He was with me in every moment. “Trust me,” He kept saying, “I can do this! Even though you are afraid to let me have your life, I can do it!” And I can tell you the past would torture me horribly, and so would the future. The only safe place for me was to lose myself in worship and to think the thoughts of God. And His thoughts were way out of my box. But I continually traded in my ashes for His beauty moment by moment.

Even though all of us live in a battleground, I believe we can live in the fullness of His life and more life. I believe through our hunger and desire for Him, we can constantly engage our powerful Savior. In our praises, we are saturated with Him. In our prayer, we are saturated with Him. It’s walking in awareness and focus. It’s a place where we are no longer conformed to this world but are transformed by the renewal of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2)

I believe God is telling us, as His sons and daughters, that we can trust Him to answer our prayers and to make our paths straight. The carnal mind constantly tries to create death (Romans 8:5-11). But we can renounce that and simply choose life. We can drop down out of our heads, and start to live out of the eternal love in our hearts. Love is powerful and timeless. When you engage with the heart of Jesus, you are in the NOW! It’s a choice to live a life with Love. In that sweet place where your heart is abiding in His, you forget all about your self.

My beautiful family, it’s only Him that we need after all. Right now and present.

By Nancy Johnson

Author of Ask for Your Miracle

engagingjesus.com