Teaching Yourself

I was reading from the book of Psalms again this morning. As I read through the Psalms I try to experience the same thoughts as the psalmist. This morning, I couldn't sing along. In Psalm 16, I read verse 7. I says, "I will bless the Lord who has counseled me..." At this point I was singing right along with the Psalmist. "Yes, I will bless the Lord," I said in my mind. Then came the off pitch note in the chorus. Verse 7 continues, "Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night." What? I can't go along with the Psalmist at this point. My mind surely doesn't instruct me in the night. If anything, I am at constant odds with my mind to keep it focused on things that are sinful.

I asked the Psalmist how he was able to experience this. Then he told me. Verse 8 reads, "I have set the Lord continually before me." "Oh, that's the part I'm missing, " I thought. Then I remembered reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. For him, staying in God's presence at all times what the chief order of the day. He even reached the point that even his time washing the dishes in the kitchen was just as spiritual as his quiet time.

The only way to get to the point that my mind instructs me in the night is to continually set my mind on the Lord. Then, without thinking about it, I will be thinking on the glories of the Lord. In whose presence there is fullness of joy, and in whose right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalm 16:11 Paraphrased)