“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”
Psalm 61
When it comes to finding inspiration for writing worship music, the Bible is the greatest source. The word of God continuously lifts my spirit and soothes my soul, regardless of the day or hour. The poetic verses and natural rhythm of the Psalms perfectly compliment a variety of musical melodies and provide Christian songwriters, like me, with endless inspiration.
One afternoon, I recall sitting at my piano with the Bible open to Psalm 61. The phrase “higher than I” stood out among the verses as a powerful crescendo. I felt inspired to write a worship song based on this message and I knew “Higher Than I” would be the title and theme of the song.
My process for writing Higher Than I, like many of my other songs, occurred over a period of time. Most of the lyrics are directly taken from Psalm 61. I wanted the chorus to say something profound in keeping with the opening verse. Initially, after the line, “Higher Than I”, I had written lyrics referring to being like Jesus , etc. However, after reflecting on the draft of the initial lyrics, I realized the song would have a greater meaning and impact if the lyrics were closely based on the themes in the Psalms.
As I began the process of rewriting the lyrics, I read through the other chapters and verses contained in Psalms. I wanted to write lyrics that mirrored the same mindset and style of David. I began praying and thinking from his perspective as a king and warrior. I used phrases like “Lord, you are my strength when I grow weary”, “A shield from every arrow flying toward me” in the final song to capture the imagery and words David used in the Psalms.
My experience as a songwriter has taught me to trust my intuition for when a song has reached its fullest potential. As I began recording the music for Higher Than I, I realized it would be very effective as a duet. Thankfully, I have a talented musician and worship leader in the family, my niece Heather Keller, who I asked to record the song with me. The result, to me, is a timeless worship song that captures the greatness and sovereignty of our Lord.
In my own life, the song, Higher Than I, is a reminder that God is my strength. He is and always will be Higher Than I, in all things. It is my hope that this song will continue to inspire future generations of believers to look to Him in all circumstances, just as David did.
Craig
