A Heart Happy in the Lord: What Quiet Time is Really For

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." — Mark 1:35 (ESV)

A few years ago, Tara and I had the joy of hosting friends from out of town for the weekend — a husband and wife in their seventies who have mentored us for more than fifteen years. Their deep walk with the Lord has shaped us in more ways than I can count. One morning, I woke early for my quiet time. After brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I shuffled toward the pantry for coffee. As I crossed the family room, I glanced out the big glass doors to check the weather — and there was my friend, sitting on the lanai with his Bible, gazing into the distance as if turning something over deep in his soul. I stopped to take it in.

Here was a man whose sincere, authentic faith I've admired for years — a faith that has quietly touched many lives, including mine. And there he was, enjoying his time with the Lord on my lanai: just him and his Bible. He looked like he was deep in conversation, talking things over with his closest friend. It was a powerful thing to watch.

As I continued my zombie-like trek toward much-needed coffee, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Why did he need only the Bible? My quiet time usually involves a small arsenal — a journal, Bible study software, a laptop, rulers, special pens, highlighters. Yet here was this godly man with nothing but Scripture. He must know the Word so well that he doesn't need the extras, I thought — I wish I did. And why does simply reading and praying seem to work for him, when I always feel I have to study the Word to pull out something to apply or teach? He had a closeness with the Lord that seemed to come straight from reading and talking with Him. I was clearly missing something — and he seemed to know exactly what it was.

Now, nothing is wrong with study or tools. God gave us His Word to be dug into. But that morning I began to wonder whether all my equipment had quietly become the point — whether I was gathering information about God instead of coming to be with Him.

That evening, I asked him about his quiet time. He shared more than I can fit here, but one line stopped me: "My goal in my quiet time is to get my heart happy in the Lord." (I'm not sure those were his exact words, but that was the essence.) Suddenly it clicked. He only needed his Bible because his aim wasn't primarily to learn more about God — it was to enjoy God. I later realized he was echoing George Müller, who said the first great business of every morning was to get his soul happy in the Lord. Same well.

He starts by giving thanks — naming four specific things: something he's never thanked God for, something delightful, something from the last twenty-four hours, and something hard to be thankful for. Then he moves slowly through the Old and New Testaments, all the while aiming at one thing: a heart made glad in God.

And that's when I saw it. My quiet time had become about learning so I could teach — good, but not the point. Look at Jesus. Before the day's demands, He rose very early, while it was still dark, and slipped away to a solitary place — not to study, but to be with His Father. That's the invitation. Not more information. Him. The goal was never to master the Book; it was to meet the One the Book is about.

Big Idea: Quiet time isn't primarily about gathering information about God — it's about encountering the Lord until your heart grows happy in Him. Come simply to be with Him, and the Word becomes a doorway into His presence, not a textbook.

Questions to Ponder: How is your time with the Lord these days — honestly? When you open the Word, are you mostly gathering information or actually meeting God? Is your heart any happier in Him when you close the Book than when you opened it? If it’s not any happier, why do you think that is? Have you always struggled to truly experience God in your quiet time?

Application: With your journal in hand, sit for a moment with one honest question — what might need to change so you can encounter Him more? Log your thoughts and whatever the Lord surfaces. Then, before reading your devotional or Bible, pray. Ask Him to meet you personally and to let you experience Him and His heart as you read His Word. Come with one aim: simply to be with the Lord and let your heart grow happy in Him. Start where my friend starts — thank God for four things: one you've never thanked Him for, one that simply delights you, one from the last twenty-four hours, and one that's hard to be grateful for. Then read a passage slowly, Old Testament or New — but here's the key: don't just read about Him; talk with Him. When a verse stirs something, stop and say it back to God — thank Him, ask Him, praise Him, be honest with Him — the way you would with a friend across the table. Don't rush to the next verse or to something you can teach; linger where your heart is warmed. When you finish, ask yourself one question: where did I actually meet God today? Write it down. Do that for a few mornings, and watch what shifts.