Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

Everything of this earth will end. Buildings need constant attention. Even people only live for a short lifetime and then return to dust. The disappearance of these things can leave us shaken, but there is something that can never be lost and this is a reason to be thankful.

I have a strange interest in old things. They draw my mind toward the past and I wonder about the happenings from years ago. Recently, I had the opportunity to tickle this interest in a fascinating way.

Within miles of our home a large brick building sits hidden behind overgrown brush. You might hardly notice it if you didn’t take the time to look. But this is not how that place used to be.

Years ago, the sprawling brick building was the home of a local branch of Morris Bean & Co. This foundry, which made iron castings, leased the former Hager Paper Co. buildings in 1946 as announced in the Sept. 13 edition of the Cedarville Herald.

The employees populated the complex every day keeping the place hopping. But that is not the case now. Now the abandoned buildings are for sale and Dad, Nathan, and I took a client for a tour.

In the years since the Morris Bean & Co. occupied the buildings, other businesses continued to use the building in various capacities. But now the lonely brick structure sits dormant with much of its annex structures in ruin. Machinery now sits silent. Shattered windows leave a glassy trail of broken shards along the floors. On a good day sunlight and the cheerful trills of birds penetrate the dank areas through gaping holes in the ceiling.

Why do beautiful buildings decay when abandoned? It’s enough to make a person weep.

Yet, there is something to give us hope. This place is not all there is. The writer of the book of Hebrews gives examples comparing earthly things with heavenly ones. The author of the letter takes great pains to explain that Jesus is better than anything that came before and to show that all the old regulations, promises, and prophecies pointed to Him.

In time everything in the created heavens and earth will be destroyed, but the Kingdom of God will last forever. Therefore, we must respond to the true reality of Jesus instead of clinging to the past. Those who belong to Jesus are citizens of His unshakeable kingdom and will live with Him for eternity.

Deterioration happens on this earth – just check out the buildings near my home. But God’s kingdom will last forever. That is a reason to be worshiping God. He is the One who gives us unshakeable hope for a bright future.