“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
— John 14:1-4

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
— Revelation 21:1-4

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
— Revelation 21:9-27

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My Carpenter Love Is Building Us A Home
By Jennifer Kane

In sawdust and stone, our hands find their place,
Building with love, by the strength of His grace.
Yet every beam, each wall we raise,
Is but a shadow of brighter days.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” He said,
“I go to prepare where My own shall be led.
A mansion awaits, with rooms made new,
A home everlasting, built just for you.”

My Carpenter love is building us a home,
Where we’ll never be parted, never more roam.
Each nail, each promise, secured by His hand,
A dwelling eternal, in the promised land.

We labor together, His Spirit our guide,
Shaping a dwelling with Christ by our side.
But higher still, a city descends,
The holy Jerusalem where sorrow ends.

No more death, no tears remain,
No cries of grief, no ache, no pain.
For God Himself will dwell with man,
And wipe each tear with His gentle hand.

Its walls of jasper, foundations adorned,
By gates of pearl His kingdom is formed.
The Lamb is its lamp, His glory its light,
No shadow shall fall, no more night.

So let us build with joy below,
A foretaste of the love we know.
For soon we’ll stand where all is new,
In the house our Savior has built so true.

Together forever, with hearts made whole,
Home at last with the Builder of souls.

~~~~~

Scripture: John 14:1-4, Revelation 21:1-4, Revelation 21:9-27

In a world of uncertainty, pain, and fleeting moments, our souls long for something permanent, something truly whole. Jesus understood this ache perfectly. In John 14, His words are a gentle command against a troubled heart: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” This isn’t a dismissive phrase; it’s an invitation to trade our anxiety for a specific, solid hope.

His solution is a promise: “I am going to prepare a place for you.” This isn’t a generic, mass-produced place. It is personal, intentional, and crafted by the hands of the Savior Himself. He is there now, not as a distant architect, but as a loving brother getting a room ready for our arrival.

The vision in Revelation gives us a glorious glimpse of what He is preparing. It is not a distant, ethereal realm of clouds and harps. It is a restored creation—a new heaven and a new earth—where the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descends to be among us. This is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan: to dwell with His people.

Let the imagery sink in:

No more sea: In biblical times, the sea often represented chaos, separation, and danger. In eternity, that chaos is gone. There is no separation from God or each other.

God Himself will wipe every tear: The most intimate and tender picture of comfort. The source of all pain will personally eradicate its very memory.

No more death, mourning, crying, or pain: The entire “old order” of brokenness is abolished. The curse of Genesis is reversed forever.

No sun or moon: The constant, radiant presence of God eliminates all darkness, both physical and spiritual. There is no need for sun or moon, for His glory is all-sufficient.

This is our hope. This is our future. When the grief feels too heavy, when the news is too dark, when the pain is too persistent, we can remember: This is not our final home. We are citizens of a coming Kingdom, waiting for our King to return and say, “Welcome home.”

When someone is grieving, share this hope. The promise of a place with no tears is the ultimate comfort for a heart shattered by loss.

Knowing our eternal destination frees us to live boldly for Christ here. We can endure hardship, risk generosity, and forgive deeply because our security is not in this world but the next.

Let these scriptures stir in you a holy anticipation. The best is yet to come. Let your prayer be, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

~~~~~

Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you for preparing a place for us. When this world feels overwhelming, help us to lift our eyes to the glory of what is to come. Fortify our hearts with the promise that You will wipe away every tear and make all things new. Use us, Lord, to be agents of Your comfort and hope to a world that is longing for a home it can’t even name. We cling to Your promise and await Your return with joyful anticipation. Amen.

September 19 2025