When most people think about quiet time, they think of reading the Bible and praying. Yes, these are parts of quiet time, but there is something bigger and more important going on. The heart. Coming to quiet time with an open heart is the most important part of quiet time. Without an open heart, you can read 30 chapters in the Bible and not take a single word in. Without an open heart, you can pray for three hours and not feel a connection with God. The open heart is the most important part of quiet time.
Matthew 11:28-30 is really great Scripture to look at when you're thinking about the heart. First off, it says that we are to come to God for rest. Folks, God never leaves us. When we can't feel His presence, it's not because He isn't there - it's because our tiny human brains can't comprehend the enormity of Him. We continually have to leave His presence because our sinful nature drags us away. We have to return to Him over and over again. Intentionally. Humbly. Ready for change. It is in these moments that we get the true rest that our hearts long for. Rest from responsibilities. Rest from our mistakes. Rest from the complications of human life. You can only receive this rest if you choose to come back to Him.
Second, Matthew 11:29 says that when we take God's yoke upon ourselves, we will learn from Him. We're not talking about the middle of an egg, but about the piece used to hook up oxen for work. It looks like this:
God's yoke is His will. When we define our boundaries by the ones that God sets for us, our lives are actually easier. It's life without dodging around lies that we tell. It's life without hangovers, without STD's and unwanted pregnancies, without addiction. That's why verse 30 says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When we choose to obey the boundaries that God puts in our lives, we are making life easier for ourselves.
Here's an example. Once I was taking Misty to my parent's house and I had to stop by the grocery store to pick something up. I was going to leave Misty in the car (It was winter, I promise it wasn't hot outside.), but the second I opened the door she bolted. She was running freely in a parking lot next to a busy intersection. Anybody who knows Misty knows that she's not an easy dog to catch once she gets loose. She's part Border Collie and she's fast. Plus, she's scared of everything. A stranger was trying to help me catch Misty, but of course that made it worse because Misty was scared of the stranger. I was worried about her getting hit by a car in the parking lot or running into the intersection and getting hit there. I was worried about her running in the woods next to the parking lot and never being found.
Misty thought her way was better than mine. She thought that by escaping the car (and escaping waiting for me by herself) that her life would be better. But I knew that escaping the car but her in danger - the exact danger that I was trying to avoid. Eventually I caught Misty (by pretending to leave her there) and my heart rate slowly went back down.
When we come to quiet time, we need to be open to the possibility that we're not going to like what God puts on our hearts. We need to be willing to listen to His will and realize that He's looking at a bigger picture that we could never understand. Sometimes during quiet time, God provides just the rest I need. He provides beautiful verses that remind me that He is there for me and that He is ultimately in control of all circumstances. But sometimes I read verses and I feel this pang in my heart and I know God wanted me to notice that verse. Even though I might want to read on or ignore it, I can't get it out of my mind.
Heart surgery isn't fun. It doesn't feel good. It takes a while to recover. But it's necessary. God molds and changes our hearts because we need it. Isn't that what quiet time is all about? Going to God to get what we need?
Have you been avoiding quiet time because you are avoiding this truth? Do you try to have quiet time but don't feel the same as you used to? Have you been avoiding quiet time because you don't want to go through the pain of change? Let me tell you, it's worth it. Waking up and spending time with God is worth every second. Knowing His love, His grace, His sufficiency, is worth it. Being His is worth it.
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." Hebrews 3:7b-8a.
If this is something you struggle with, pray daily that God will open your heart to His will.
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