Last Sunday, we concluded the sermon by considering 1 Peter 2:10.

As we saw, the original text literally reads:

who then not people, but now people of God;

the ones not having received mercy, but now the ones having received mercy.

The contrast is obvious.

Who then . . . but now. The ones now . . . but now.

Informed by this verse, the Christian life is to be one in which we never move on from remembering who we were then & who we are now.

“the mover”

In a collection of Puritan prayers called The Valley of Vision, there is a prayer called “The Mover” that is particularly suited to helping us never forget who we were then & who we are now.

The full text of the prayer is below.

O SUPREME MOVING CAUSE,

May I always be subordinate to thee,
        be dependent upon thee,
  be found in the path where thou dost walk,
     and where thy Spirit moves,
  take heed of estrangement from thee,
     of becoming insensible to thy love.
Thou dost not move men like stones,
   but dost endue them with life,
  not to enable them to move without thee,
   but in submission to thee, the first mover.
O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
  between my receivings and my deservings,
  between the state I am now in and my past
     gracelessness,
  between the heaven I am bound for and
     the hell I merit.
Who made me to differ, but thee?
  for I was no more ready to receive Christ
     than were others;
I could not have begun to love thee hadst thou not first loved me,
   or been willing unless thou hadst first made me so.
O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!
  such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
  such joys for so vile a rebel!
Infinite wisdom cast the design of salvation
   into the mould of purchase and freedom;
Let wrath deserved be written on the door of hell,
But the free gift of grace on the gate of heaven.
I know that my sufferings are the result of my sinning,
   but in heaven both shall cease;
Grant me to attain this haven and be done with sailing,
  and may the gales of thy mercy blow me safely into harbour.
Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
  wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,
  and make me ready for my departure hence.
Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this
  stormy sea.

a prayer for THIS THANKSGIVING

Take time to pray this prayer this Thanksgiving.

Take time to thank God for food, friends, family, fellowship, & so many good things. But, most of all, take time to thank God for “the difference between your deservings & your receivings”!

We who were then—dead in sin, without God & without hope—are now—right with God & welcomed into his family!

Happy Thanksgiving!