On August 3, 1971, a British Overseas Airways Boeing 747 carrying 379 people from Montreal to London was notified of a bomb threat aboard the plane. A caller demanding ransom had announced that a bomb was set to detonate during the plane’s descent, precisely when it dropped below 5,000 feet. The pilot needed wisdom, and he needed it fast. What did he do? He ended up landing the plane in Denver. Denver is at an elevation of 5,280 feet, and the plane landed safely.
I have learned this over the years: God always has a “Denver” to protect us from exploding. [Service] can bring overwhelmingness with it; couple it with the demands of a busy calendar and homelife, it can feel as though we’re on the edge every day. It’s in those moments that we need to find higher ground; we need to find our “Denver.”
Psalm 61 was David’s prayer when his world was falling apart, when he was overwhelmed:
“From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings.”
It was more than a prayer; it was David’s cry. “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” That’s Denver!
I love the song “Worthy of It All.” The lyrics that I often sing aloud are, “Day and night, night and day, let incense arise…” The incense is not a burning stick; it is the prayers of the people, the battle cries of our heart. How does incense burn? It takes fire. When we’re on fire for God, our prayers, become battle cries… Link up to those words – “Day and night, night and day, let incense arise…” – as you ask God to lead you to higher ground.
That pilot sought out wisdom that day in 1971, and it took flying 3,200 miles out of the way to
secure the safety of those on the plane. Today, as you seek wisdom, you might have
to go out of your way for some reason, might have to be stretched to a difference place or calling. Whatever it is, hold on to David’s prayer: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” When you hold onto that prayer, it becomes less about you and more about HIM.
“The best style of prayer is that which cannot be called anything else but a cry.”
C. H. Spurgeon