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A man was skiing down a slope in good form. Suddenly, he aborted his jump and tumbled head over heels off the side of the slope. He later explained that he did it intentionally because he realized the surface was much faster than it should have been, and unless he aborted his jump, he could have killed himself. By thinking ahead and taking action, he saved his life. Unlike that wise skier, King Ahaz did not think ahead. We read in Isaiah Chapter 7 that he had asked the king of Assyria to help him defeat two rival kings. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told him not to make an alliance with the Assyrian king, but to trust God to protect him. God said, “Ask me for sign to prove my trust worthiness.” God said, “If you do not stand in faith, you will not stand at all.” God knew that by forming an alliance with the king of Assyria, he would be opening the door for that king to later invade the land and take over. Ahaz made an unwise decision by placing himself under Assyrian control for protection. In a few short years, Assyria came back, conquered the land, and deported the people to another country. When we make selfish decisions without taking into account their long-term consequences, we may be asking for trouble. God invites us to rely on Him in all we do so He can direct our paths.