Passage
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come.
Hebrews 13:14 (LSB)
Nearby Context
Hebrews 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Hebrews 13:13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Hebrews 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come.
Hebrews 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
Hebrews 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "here", "lasting", "city", "seeking", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "here" and "lasting", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 13's "So let us go out to Him..." into verse 15's "Through Him then let us continually offer...", so "here" and "lasting" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "here" and "lasting" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.