Now how’s this for a thought-provoking introduction to this week’s article? “An antithesis is a figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other, such as ‘hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.’”
Hmm, “love is the antithesis of selfishness.” So easily spoken but not always so easily lived out. I’m sure we can all think of terms that fit into that category but this week I’ve been musing on the admonitions of Scripture that both fit that description of antithesis as well as describing the best way to draw our resources from God.
During this past year, I like everyone else, have both cast off and held on to a variety of emotions and situations such as isolation and loneliness. For some, finances have been massacred. Thankfully, the Lord has opened my eyes to the strength and blessing that’s found in learning to more fully trust Him.
1 Peter 5:7 (Phillips) “So, humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.”
1 Peter 5:7: (TPT): “Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.”
Then, in contrast with giving something up, we’re exhorted to hold fast to Him and to His promises.
Proverbs 4:4 (Amplified Version) “He taught me and said to me, ‘Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live.’”
Too many times I’ve mixed up the casting and the holding. They may be opposites but as we put them together in right order, we gain a new understanding of God’s peace.
