The Eternal Word and the Withering Grass: Neville Goddard on 1 Peter 1:24–25 and Genesis 1:11

We read:

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
— 1 Peter 1:24–25

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass,
the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:
and it was so.”
— Genesis 1:11

“All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like
the flower of the field.
The grass withers,
the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers,
the flower fades,
but the word of our God
will stand forever.”
— Isaiah 40:6–8

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At first glance, these three passages might seem unrelated—one poetic, one agricultural, and one prophetic. But when viewed through the teachings of Neville Goddard, they echo the same eternal truth: imagination is the creative power, and the outer world is only its temporary reflection.

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All Flesh Is as Grass

Neville taught that the Bible is not history, but allegory—an inward spiritual map. So when Peter writes that “all flesh is as grass,” he’s not lamenting human mortality; he’s reminding us that the physical world is a fleeting effect, not a lasting reality.

Grass represents manifestation in its simplest, most transient form. It sprouts quickly, grows briefly, and withers without resistance. Likewise, the circumstances and conditions of life—health, wealth, reputation—are impermanent, subject to change because they were themselves born of changeable inner states.

Even “the glory of man,” Peter says—the finest expression of outer success—is as the flower of grass. Beautiful, yes. But passing.

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But the Word Endures

In contrast to the grass is the “word of the Lord,” which Peter tells us “endureth for ever.” Neville identified this enduring Word with the imagination: the creative, causative power behind every visible thing. It is your inner assumption, your I AM, your persistent belief.

That inner Word—the imaginal act—never dies, because it is the root of all things. It is what Genesis 1:11 calls the “seed in itself.”

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Genesis 1:11 – The Process of Manifestation

Let’s break down Genesis 1:11 through this symbolic lens:

• “Let the earth bring forth grass...”
  The subconscious mind (the earth) brings forth the most basic form of life. This is the immediate reflection of surface-level assumptions—brief, shallow manifestations.

• “...the herb yielding seed...”
  Here we see repetition and continuation—a more developed form. Herbs yield seed, meaning that even recurring life patterns are still produced from within. Nothing is random.

• “...the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind...”
  This represents the mature state, a fully ripened manifestation. The fruit carries the quality of the tree, “after his kind”—a biblical reminder that every result matches its cause.

• “...whose seed is in itself.”
  Here lies the golden truth: the seed is not added from outside. It is within the thing itself. Just as every external circumstance is born from within the state that precedes it, so too every tree carries the pattern of its own reproduction within.

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From Seed to Shadow

Peter’s declaration that “the grass withereth” echoes this same truth. Whatever springs from the subconscious earth—however glorious—is not eternal. But the inner Word, the imaginal seed that caused it, remains. You may plant new seeds, accept new truths, and produce new fruit accordingly.

Neville would say: you are not the grass—you are the sower.

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Conclusion: The Eternal Pattern of Creation

These three scriptures reveal a consistent divine principle:

• Genesis 1:11 shows the creative process: all life emerges from within, “after their kind,” with the seed inherently contained in each thing.

• 1 Peter 1:24–25 teaches that the visible world—“all flesh” and “the glory of man”—is temporary and withers away, but the creative Word of God endures forever.

• Isaiah 40:6–8 echoes this truth poetically, emphasising that though “all flesh is grass,” and “the flower fades,” the word of our God remains eternal and unchanging.

Together, they remind us that while outer forms are fleeting, the inner creative power—the imagination, the “I AM,” the Word—is the true, eternal reality. You are not the passing grass; you are the eternal sower of seeds.