Now how鈥檚 this for a thought-provoking introduction to this week鈥檚 article? 鈥淎n 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 鈥榟atred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.鈥欌��
Hmm, 鈥渓ove is the antithesis of selfishness.鈥� So easily spoken but not always so easily lived out. I鈥檓 sure we can all think of terms that fit into that category but this week I鈥檝e 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鈥檚 found in learning to more fully trust Him.
1 Peter 5:7 (Phillips) 鈥淪o, humble yourselves under God鈥檚 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.鈥�
1 Peter 5:7: (TPT): 鈥淧our out all your worries and stress upon him听and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.鈥�
Then, in contrast with giving something up, we鈥檙e exhorted to hold fast to Him and to His promises.
Proverbs 4:4 (Amplified Version) 鈥淗e taught me and said to me, 鈥楲et your heart听hold听fast听my words; Keep my commandments and live.鈥欌��
Too many times I鈥檝e 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鈥檚 peace.
听
