Last week, I was listening to Jeremy Camp’s CD “Stay” in my car all week. It is his debut CD from 2002, and it’s one of my favorites.
When I listen to my iPod in the house, I usually put it on shuffle and so I never know what song is going to be next. But often I prefer to listen to a CD all the way through from beginning to end, in the order the artist chose to arrange the songs. That is definitely the case with “Stay.” There are two songs in particular on that CD that seem to me to be so perfectly placed one after the other.
The first in “Take My Life.” This is a hard rocking song and quite possibly my favorite Jeremy Camp song. I love the electric guitar riffs and the emotion in his voice as he sings:
Take my life
Take my mind
Take my soul
Take my will
I am yours and I give it all to you
As I listen to this song, I can feel the struggle I have within myself to give my life, my mind, my soul, my will completely to Jesus. I desire to give Him my all because of all He has done for me and because of who He is. But I also know that I cannot on my own give it all to Him because of my sinful nature, because of my inherent selfishness. I want to keep some of it, maybe just a little piece, for myself. Jeremy sings and I pray, “Here I am I’m giving all I can.” And so I offer all my everything, but the only way I can truly become His alone is if He takes that which I offer.
There is an urgency in this song, a crying out for God to “quick, take it, take it all, before I change my mind.” I hear in the rawness of Jeremy Camp’s voice and the driving power of the electric guitar the tension between my sinful nature and the desire for God that the Holy Spirit has place in my heart.
I find, as this song comes to an end, God is faithful to honor my prayer. He will take, for His glory, that which I offer. Suddenly, the next song on the CD begins. It is called “In Your Presence.” It is a more tranquil song, with an acoustic sound and softer vocals. I can feel that I am in the presence of the Lord. I can see in my mind the beauty of Jesus on the cross, and His majesty on the throne. I am in awe of who He is and what He alone can do in my heart.
He alone is able to take my life and turn it into something worthwhile. He alone is able to take my mind and fix it on that which is holy. He alone is able to take my soul and save it from certain death. He alone is able to take my will and make it His own. He alone is worthy of praise. I am in awe of His love and mercy.