1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

DAILY READING        Acts 10:1-33; Joshua 7-8; Job 24

It is often said that where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. One Sunday in 1799 a 12 year old boy named Conrad Reed and some of his siblings went to fish in Little Meadow Creek, Cabarrus County, North Carolina. While fishing, Conrad saw a shiny rock gleaming in the water which he took home to his father. His father, John Reed examined the very interesting looking rock but not knowing what it was, he placed it by the door to be used as a doorstop. Unknown to John Reed, the rock was solid gold which at today’s gold prices would be worth at least $240,000! Yet John reed and his family used this gold rock as a doorstop for the next three years. However, one day in 1802 John Reed decided to take the interesting rock to a jeweler. The Jeweler realizing it was a 17 pound gold nugget quickly asked to buy it. And John still not knowing the value asked to be paid a mere $3.50. Later realizing that the jeweler had cheated him, he started searching for more gold in the area.  The news of the discovery of gold in the area would set the stage for America’s first gold rush. And  John Reed and his family would later become rich through discovery of more gold. 

It is however interesting that for three years John Reed and his family used gold as a door stop without knowing the true value. Likewise sometimes we can be staring something of  great value in the face and miss it’s real worth. Some people have been celebrating Christmas for so many years without really knowing the value of the season. To many it has become a ‘doorstop’, a celebration that comes before the door is opened to the New Year.

But beyond celebrating the season we must know the immeasurable worth of Christ’s birth. We must celebrate who He is and why He came to the earth. He came on an emancipation mission.

1 John 3:8 says “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

He was manifested not only to take away our sins, but also to destroy the originator of all sin. All suffering, sickness, and sorrow are because of the presence of the devil in the world. Jesus came to destroy his works and to restore to us all that was lost. The enemy is the thief that came to steal, and to kill, and to destroy but Jesus has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. This is the reason for our celebration. It is a celebration of victory, it is a celebration of emancipation. It is a celebration of the new season of great and amazing blessings.  Let us therefore decide that this Christmas will not be another ‘doorstop’ to the New year.  Our lives must begin to experience the tangible benefit that Christ’s birth has brought.  And in realizing the true value of Christmas we must continually offer thanks and praise to God for the great and mighty gift He gave to us by sending Christ to the world.  

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for making every benefit of salvation real in my life. The tangible value of the coming of Christ will not be lost to me, indeed I have entered into a new season of unending celebrations in every area of my life in Jesus Name.

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Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222..