Godly Man's Picture - Distractions

Have you ever sat down to read God's Word, proceeded to move your eyes down the page, and a few minutes later discovered that you haven't comprehended a thing? Well, I have.

Have you ever engaged in prayer, only to discover that your mind wanders all over the place and never gets around to talking with God? Well, I have.

I guess that I am not alone:

Question: But may a godly man have roving thoughts in duty?

Answer: Yes. Sad experience proves it. The thoughts will be dancing up and down in prayer. The saints are called stars and many times in duty they are wandering stars. The heart is like quicksilver which will not settle. It is hard to tie two good thoughts together. We cannot lock our hearts so close but that distracting thoughts, like wind, will get in. Jerome complains about himself. 'Sometimes,' he says, 'when I am doing God's service, I am walking in the galleries or casting up accounts.'
But these wandering thoughts in the godly are not allowed: 'I hate vain thoughts' (Psa. 119:113). They come like unwelcome guests who are no sooner spied than they are turned out. ( pg. 162)

One has to wonder how our media saturated culture exacerbates this situation. If it was a problem in the pre-electronic age, how much worse must it be today? Despite the distractions and the intrusions, we need to "be still and know that He is God."