It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul.

Those words, from the last stanza of the poem, Invictus (Latin for invincible), were written by the English poet William Ernest Henley in 1875. Henley described the mindset, owned by many, that men and women are in control of their destinies. But, in today’s passage, Peter presents a different philosophy.

1 Peter 1:24-25
…For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Peter reminds us that our lives are as fleeting as the grass and flowers of the field. Some masters and captains we are…stuck in the process of withering and falling. But there is a place we can go for help, a place that is living and enduring, a place that stands forever in contrast to our temporal existence.

So, is your hope based on your personal ability to master your fate and captain your soul? Or is your hope settled in the truth and promises of God’s Word that lives and endures and remains forever? Just so you know, hope in yourself dies with you. Living hope carries you home.

Father, I turn the position of master and captain over to you. You lead, and I will follow. In Jesus’ name. Amen.