Have you ever been homesick? Have you ever longed for home—to be in a familiar place of comfort and security with the people you love?

God desires to dwell with his people. From the very beginning of time when God set a garden in the middle of his creation and placed humanity in the middle of the garden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the paradise of the Garden of Eden.

Since the fall of humanity, all of scripture reveals to us God’s pursuit of humanity, to rescue them, to restore them to himself, and to make his home with his people once again.

If you were going away, what would be your final speech to those whom you love? What would you want your loved ones to know? What would you want them to be? What would you want them to do?

Our last words reflect what we value and what we see as essential and of utmost importance.

In John’s Gospel, in chapter fourteen, Jesus was leaving his disciples to be crucified, to die, to raise again, and to ascend. Jesus was going away and he wanted to exhort his disciples to love God and to keep his commandments. Jesus wanted to comfort his disciples with the hope and assurance of the presence of the Holy Spirit who the Father would send in his name to help them, to comfort them, to dwell with them, to be in them, and to give them life.

What does God think of injustice? How should we treat our neighbors—those who are different from us, and those who are in need? What does it look like for us to do justice and to exercise kindness in the world?

This life is filled with injustice, inequities, prideful arrogance, and self-supremacy.

God spoke through the Prophet Micah, saying, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, ESV).

Are you at peace? When are you most at peace? Where does your peace come from? What is the difference between the peace the world gives and the peace God gives?

When we are troubled and afraid, the world offers limited and insufficient means to alleviate our anxieties. However, Jesus desires to give us his peace when we are troubled and afraid. Unlike the insufficiencies the world offers us, Jesus gives us his true peace.

In John’s gospel account, Jesus spoke to his disciples of his promised peace, saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV).

When you look at the world, what do you see? What message does creation send us?

The earth is full of the knowledge of God and the glory of God. This world communicates the understanding of God and God’s glory.

The Prophet Habakkuk wrote of the knowledge of the Lord in creation, saying, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV).

Where do you find goodness? Where do you find refuge? Where is your security and shelter in times of trouble?

God promises that he sees us and knows us when we take refuge in him. God is good to us and is our stronghold when we take refuge in him.

The prophet Nahum spoke the words of God, saying, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7, ESV).

What are you worried and anxious about? Does it matter? Does it REALLY matter? Is what you are worried and anxious over the sum-total of your life?

We can be anxious about many details of our lives, but anxieties and the details we are anxious over to not compromise the entirety of our life. Our life is more than what we are anxious about.

In Matthew’s gospel account, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, ESV).

What are the areas of your life, the branches, that are dead and fruitless and in need of care and pruning? Are there activities or habits that you are doing that are not producing good?

We can cut back on so much busyness in our lives which is not bearing good fruit. We can prune the areas of our lives which are dead and fruitless and sucking up valuable energy and time without producing.

In the gospel of John, Jesus said to his disciples, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2, ESV).

What do you treasure? Does your treasure have real value? Where is your treasure located? Is your treasure safe and secure? Will your treasure outlast your earthly lifetime?

Jesus spoke of the temporary nature of earthly treasures and the importance of valuing treasures of eternal significance and value.

In Matthew’s gospel account, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19, ESV).

What do your words produce in the people around you? How do your words impact the world? Do your words impact the world for life, or do your words produce death in the world?

Wisdom tells us our words matter. Our words carry the weight of life and death.

The wisdom of the Proverbs tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18:21, ESV).

What keeps you in a state of fear? What releases you from fear?

Doubting God’s provision and presence can lead us to fear. Recognizing God’s presence can battle our fear and give us great courage. When we realize that God is with us, that he will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us, our fear subsides.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah saying, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV).

We are called out of fear by God. We are not alone. God will strengthen us. God is with us and God will help us. God will hold us in the palm of his hand.

How do you hold up under the weight of hardship? How do you keep the faith and believe? What gives you the hope you need? What enables you to endure difficulties?

We all face heaviness and weighty loads that we have to bear at some point in our lives. We all face challenges to our faith and have doubts in our relationships from time to time. We all need hope in the face of life’s broken hopelessness. Each of us encounter periods of trying and difficult times that require us to endure.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7, ESV).

What is the commandment with a promise from God? How can we honor our fathers and mothers? What does it look like “that it may go well with us and that we may live long in the land”?

God takes honoring our parents seriously. It is the fifth commandment to honor our father and mother, and it is the only commandment with a promise of blessing.

Th the Apostle Paul wrote the church in Ephesus, saying, “‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” (Ephesians 6:2-3, ESV).

Who has your best interest in mind? Who advocates and mediates on your behalf for your best interest and good? Who comes before God for you and mediates and advocates for what is best?

We have many advocates and champions who mediate on our behalf for our well being. However, there is only one mediator between God and each of us who is advocating on our behalf. Our only mediator and advocate is Jesus.

The Apostle Paul instructed his young disciple, Timothy, with this truth, saying, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5, ESV).

How did Jesus view his love, responsibility, and duty towards his mother? How do we view our love, responsibility, and duty towards our mothers? How do we love, honor, and care for our mothers?

Jesus loved and cared for his mother Mary throughout his life and ministry. We see Jesus turning water into wine, his first miracle, at his mother’s request in John chapter 2. And one of Jesus’ last acts before his death on the cross—literally from the cross—was ensuring that his mother was taken care of.

John’s gospel account tells us, “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25-27, ESV).

What does your heart desire? Are your desires also God’s desires?

Desire is a good thing. Desire motivates us to dream big. Desire motivates us for impactful action and meaningful living.

The Psalmist wrote, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, ESV).

Where do you find protection and peace in the face of the evil in this world?

God’s protection and peace is sure for the follower of Jesus.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17, ESV).

Where do you find your security, protection, provision, salvation, and sanctuary?

God provides all that we need to be secure, to be protected, to be provided for, to be saved, and to be kept safe from all harm.

The Psalmist recorded these truths when they wrote, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2, ESV).

God is our security, protection, provision, salvation, and sanctuary.

Where do you find grace in your life? Where do you get your strength? How do you find the power you need when you are weak?

We can find grace, strength, and power in God. When we are weak and in need of grace, we can find what we need in God’s resting power. We can rest in God’s resting power.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth, saying, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).

What measure do you use in determining what you do? How do you determine how much to serve? How do you determine how much to give? How do you determine how much good you do in the world?

What measure would you enjoy receiving? How much would you appreciate being served? How much would you like to be given? How much good would you like to receive?

We all have a standard by which we give, serve, and do good, and we all have expectations around what we wish to receive.