"Invictus"

A 19^th century Victorian poem called “Invictus” penned by William Earnest Henley ends with this haughty announcement: “I am Master of my Fate, I am Captain of my soul.”
As a poor, weak, sinner in desperate need of a Redeemer, and an Advocate on my behalf before a Holy God, I am so thankful that my destiny and the fate of my soul is not dependent upon my own intellect or abilities. In Psalms we find the opposite of this bold statement by an author who humbly asks: “Lead me, O Lord, in Thy Righteousness..(5:8), “Lead me in Thy Truth, for You are the God of my salvation” (25:5), and acknowledges that “You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore lead me for Your Name’s sake, and guide me.”  Rather than being charged with the care of my soul, I’m so thankful to be able to “commit the keeping of [my] soul to Him…” (1 Peter 4:19).

O Lord, You are Master of my Fate, You are the Guardian of my soul.

Return of the King

Throughout the scriptures, the mention of a great King keeps emerging from the text.  So, “Who is this King of Glory?” the Psalmist asked (Psalm 24:6) Psalm 2 mentions an “Anointed” One Who would one day “sit upon my holy hill of Zion” (verse 6), and many others places in Psalms acknowledge One Who is the “Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.” (Psalm 84:3). Isaiah writes in chapter 6 about seeing a sight in the heavens so awe inspiring that it literally scared him almost to death. “Woe is me!” He cries out, “for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts! (Isaiah 6:5)
The prophet Zechariah also wrote about a great King Who will day “be king over all the earth.” (Zechariah 14:9), and Ezekiel wrote about a future Ruler,  “ one king shall be king to them all.” (Ezekiel 37:22).
Many years later in his writing to young Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote of “the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God” (1 Timothy 1:17), and in Revelation chapter 19, John mentions a mighty warrior mounted on a splendid white war horse (verse 11) and leading a great host in history’s last and greatest cavalry charge (Revelation 19). He calls Him the “King of Kings and the Lord of Lords” (19:6)
This great King spoken of through the ages by the mouths and the pens of the prophets is none other than the Eternal God, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, and our Savior Jesus the Christ.

“Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.” (Psalm 24:8)