Nehemiah 4:17-18
“They who built on the wall, and they who bore burdens, loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon. And the builders, everyone wore his sword by his side, and so built. And he who sounded the trumpet was by me.”
This passage comes from the book of Nehemiah, which describes the return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem in the 5th century BCE. Nehemiah is leading the effort to rebuild the city walls, but they face constant opposition from surrounding peoples who try to disrupt their work.
When facing a daunting task, how do you balance the work of building with the need for protection or resilience?