The One Year Bible - Day 71

I wanted to mention something from Psalm 55 today. Verse 10 says, "Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city". If we see the city as the church, it is interesting that despite being 'attacked' from outside by spiritual forces or perhaps a number of militant atheists, the greatest danger to the church is those "within the city". This I think is for a number of reasons. Fundamentally, the danger is from those who do not know God's Will but are in a position to dictate the direction of the church. This might work its way out in various ways. People of poor character, people who are simply not anointed for the position they have been given, people who are reckless, people who put process before people, those who seek glory rather than God, people who pursue the gifts rather than the giver, people whose egos are not in check and who might dominate 'spiritually' or physically and a whole raft of other 'defects'. Yet I think it would be fair to say we are much more on our guard against outsiders when so much harm is done by people. Jesus told us we had authority over the evil forces of the devil yet we are more afraid of them than we are of people who we do not usually have authority over!