In Isaiah 22, Jerusalem is being invaded by the Babylonians, and so the inhabitants are getting ready for the siege. Isaiah describes their preparations:

:8 “In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest … and you saw that the breaches in the wall of the city of David were many; and you collected the waters of the lower pool. Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore down houses to fortify the wall. And you made a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool.” (:8-11a)

Jerusalem made every preparation for a siege that they could make. But they forgot one vital thing, which Isaiah pointed out in the second part of :11: “BUT YOU DID NOT DEPEND ON HIM WHO MADE IT, nor did you (see) Him who planned it long ago.” (:11b)  They did everything in their preparation except look to God. And He was the only One they really, really needed. But they soon found out that everything without God is not enough.

Do we not do this same thing today when we make every plan for a business but fail to look to God; or check out everything about a potential spouse except seek God’s will; or make a full budget or financial plan, but fail to find God’s direction?  We even do this in Christian work when we make every preparation for a church event, or a message, or a worship service, or ministry — except we neglect to spend quality time seeking God in prayer, which is more vital for the work than any of those other things.

But like Israel, when we do everything except really look to the Lord, we soon discover that everything else without God is not enough.