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Communing has been defined as talking together familiarly. Retirement is much more common than self-communion. You may go apart from the crowd, and yet never speak to your own heart.

1. The familiar maxim, "Know thyself," shows that self-knowledge has for ages been deemed desirable. In the ethical codes of the wiser moralists of the ancient world, the duty of self-analysis was prominent. But it is with the heart in its relation to things unseen and eternal that we are to commune. This communing must be marked by uncompromising fidelity. Honesty and impartiality should characterise our inquiries. In our self-communings, Scripture should be our guide. When we attempt to explore our vain and wicked hearts, we find that a manual is indispensable to success. That is to be found in the Bible alone.

2. The effect of self-communion. The Psalm is an appeal to God against the misapprehensions of the "sons of men" who love vanity. Their behaviour is founded on a miserable delusion. Some aspects of the stillness to which communion leads.

(1)  It is the stillness of settled conviction.

(2)  Of steady growth.

(3)  Of assured peace.But some men carry these self-communings so far as to destroy the peace they ought to create. They are the victims of an ill-regulated self-analysis. How does this perversion of a devout habit arise? It comes of neglecting to take with us God's own Word, and His Son. Do not neglect this duty of self-communing because you think you have no time for it. "Commune — upon your bed" means, do it anywhere, at any time, in any place, only do it. The heart is a book which you can always read. Let us not be without some places and some seasons at which we commune with our own heart specially, some spot, some hour, in which we can say, "I am alone with God and with myself."

(A. MacEwen, D. D.)

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KJV: Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

WEB: Stand in awe, and don't sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.