Day by day, choice by choice, decision by decision, each of us is building a certain kind “house” that provides the structure for the kind of life we desire to live. The quality of the materials being utilized will be proved out when the storms of life strike with a full frontal assault.
Because people seem all too ready to ready to deceive themselves with subjective, self-satisfying ideas about the life of faith, the presence of God, and the working of the Spirit, Jesus offers an objective and corrective teaching.
Depending upon one's perspective on the life of faith, we can have either a persecution complex that always plays the victimized martyr, or we can have the wisdom to do everything better than those who do not know the living God.
Because no one enjoys being around an ingrate, we can then easily imagine how much more our heavenly Father enjoys the fellowship of his children when they are grateful.
Goodness gracious life can be hard, but it is the gracious goodness of God that will see us through our present distress and the the greater testimony of his faithful provision.