In the time of Isaiah, God's people were in a very difficult predicament politically and militarily. They saw making alliances with foreign governments their only hope for survival. Why is it that we, the people of God, so easily forget that God is our only hope for survival — not military might, not financial strength, not alliances with other people or other governments. The problem is that we don't live directed by the Spirit. Galatians 5 reminds us that we are to "walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16), to be "led by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:18), and to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). Eight centuries before Galatians was written, Isaiah was challenging God's people to live this way, and they ignored him — and even more importantly, they ignored God — bringing disaster upon themselves. I wonder if we are listening to him today?