Fade

In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to The Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.
~Isaiah 17:7-8

This passage of Isaiah is directed toward the Assyrians. To fully understand what this passage meant at that time, I need to tell you a little bit about Assyria. Assyria was located in Mesopotamia, around current day Iraq. Assyria had a polytheistic religion. The Assyrians built Asherah poles and altars as monuments to their main god, Ashur.

This passage would have been highly relevant in the 8th century B.C. (the time frame Isaiah is estimated to have been written). You might say Assyrians were obsessed with their Asherah poles and incense altars. They must have spent tons of time building these altars, perfecting their Asherah poles. I'm sure they were impressive and beautiful creations. It was significant when it was predicted that the Assyrians would give up their pagan monuments.

What I got out of this passage of Isaiah, is that no matter how awesome or majestic something is, it pales in comparison with the Lord. After truly seeing Him, we won't want anything else.

Think of the most amazing and impressive thing you've seen in a while. It may be a car, a new cell phone model, or even something like an animal, or new spring flower. However, no matter what it is, the Lord is so much better! I know, it sounds cheesy, but it's true. Once we turn to our Maker and see how wonderful He is, everything else will fade.

When you concentrate on the Lord, focus on His amazing awesomeness, and make His will your priority, everything else will be taken care of. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

I've seen the Lord's goodness and everything else has begun to pale in comparison. I hope that in time, God's mercy and greatness will be the only thing I see.