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Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come! Let's meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me. I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?" Nehemiah 6:2–3 WEB.

Jerusalem had been pillaged and destroyed. The inhabitants who were not killed, were taken into exile in a foreign nation. The huge wall that protected the city had been completely broken down. Many years later, Nehemiah returned with a group of exiles, and began rebuilding the wall. When they began, their enemies laughed at them. But as the gaps in the wall started to close, they became much more serious with their threats. They plotted to kill Nehemiah, and to stop the wall from being completed.

Nehemiah's enemies planned to invite him to a banquet, and then assassinate him. They believed that once Nehemiah was out of the way, the people following him would stop rebuilding the wall. But when they tried to lure Nehemiah into their trap, he simply replied, "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down." Then he continued building. They completed the wall while working with a trowel in one hand, and a sword in the other (Nehemiah 4:17).

Our enemy may start out using laughs, jeers, and gossip to attack us. But if we keep on with God's work, he will devise much sneakier traps and distractions for us that scale to our level. He has done this a long time, and he knows what works. Like someone inspecting a wall, he keeps searching for small cracks to get through. Once in, it is hard to get him back out.

The enemy's plan is to get you distracted, trip you, make you fall, to make your testimony worthless. To make the salt lose its flavor. To stop the work. To stop God from fulfilling His plan in your life. To steal, to kill, and destroy (John 10:10). When you feel temptation coming on, remember that you are doing a great work, and you cannot come down.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me a clear vision and reveal the traps the enemy has set for me. Help me to focus on the work at hand and not be distracted. Fulfill Your will in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress