Christian artist Jeremy Camp shared the lesson God taught him during the pandemic that led to the creation of his upcoming album.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Camp revealed that during the crisis last year, he was anxious to get over it. But the Lord spoke to him about the things that He wanted to teach him instead.
"Jeremy, I want to get through to you during this. I want to teach you things during this. You have to be willing to listen and not just try to get through it," God said according to Camp.
He said that these words from the Lord changed his perspective, leading him to some realizations in life.
"It was kind of a shift of mindset for me. I realized that when you allow God to speak to your heart, what flourishes and what comes out is such life and such joy and hope and peace."
Camp also learned a huge lesson, in which being a "control freak," God wanted him to surrender his desire for control and trust Him wholeheartedly.
Moreover, he disclosed that the Lord told Him that He is sufficient for him, recalling Paul's declaration in the Bible of being content in whatever circumstance he was in because of His grace.
The singer said that this encounter with God inspired the title track of his new album, "When You Speak," which is set for release in September. The single was dropped last May.
He shared that the lyrics of the song addresses the "lies of anxiety and depression" that everybody is going through right now. He pointed out that though these things from the enemy are what people hear the "loudest," God counters these lies by highlighting His power. All that believers need to do is to trust the Lord.
"I'm excited for people to hear the whole thing ... because there's a whole theme of things that God speaks when we hear His voice," he added.
After all the trials that he went through, including the passing of his first wife, the artist finds comfort in God's promises through the passage in Proverbs 3:5-6, adding that he focuses on Jesus as the source of "true peace" amidst uncertainties.
Camp observed that the comforts of American dream have caused believers to lose their "edge" in "picking up [the] cross daily."
"I think we need to be challenged ... and not forget the whole Gospel. As we follow Jesus, we deny ourselves," he argued.
With his new album, the singer hopes that listeners will realize their need for a deeper relationship with Jesus.
In conclusion, the artist declared that in this current crisis, wherein nobody knows the whole picture, people just have to trust God who knows everything, in control and the One who loves them.
"I think that we are continuing to learn to trust and continuing to learn that He's in control. Know that He has the whole picture in mind and that He is sufficient and provides all that we need in the midst of our trials," Camp further stated.
The singer and his wife, Adrienne, are the founders of Speaking Louder, a non-profit organization that ministers to people through music and "practical service."
