Back To Home Page To Archives - Spring of Life - H. Roger Bothwell The Louisiana Purchase “In 1802 President Jefferson sent ministers to France, offering to buy New Orleans, the vital port at the mouth of the Mississippi River. But instead, Napoleon Bonaparte, preparing for another war with England, made a surprising counteroffer: he would sell the entire Louisiana Territory, all 820,000 square miles, to the United States for $15 million. It was a sum twice the federal budget, . . . For just three cents an acre, the President more than doubled the size of his country with a single stroke of his pen.” Duncan, D., The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Knopf, New York, 1997, page 15 Talk about a bargain. It had to be one of the greatest sales of all time. Wouldn’t we all like to purchase land like that for three cents an acre? I can think of another purchase that was not nearly so inexpensive. I am thinking of the redemption price paid for you and me. It cost God the most precious thing He had. It cost Him Jesus. He watched as the very creatures for which He longed to save ironically were the ones killing His son so they could be saved. It is surely one of the most remarkable stories of all time. It will be the theme of our study for eternity. As the centuries roll by our minds will marvel as we grasp new and deeper insights into this marvelous gift of love. For us heaven is free but it was never inexpensive. I'm Roger Bothwell and my address is hrb1@tiac.net or 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453. Thank you for your support of our faith ministry. Past devotionals can be accessed at Archives