Hosea 13:9 – O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

Hello readers, the title of this blog is “save me from me”. Because the truth is, I am my own worst problem, I am my own worst hindrance, I am my own worst enemy. I need to be saved from myself. Maybe you have realized this truth, maybe you are yet to realize it… but the truth is that all we do is stuff up our own lives, all we do is waste and ruin our own selves.

This is such a wonderful verse, and it meant a lot to me a number of years ago but in recent times it has been brought back to remembrance. Israel had destroyed themselves. Read their history. Think about how they started, and think about what they had and what they could have still been. But they’d ruined themselves in their own sin. They destroyed themselves.

All we can do is destroy ourselves. We think we know what’s best for ourselves… but we don’t. We think we know what we need for ourselves… but we don’t. We think we know what we want and how to get  it in life… but we don’t. Me destroys me. Me is the problem. Me, me, me. I just look back at my own life even and the only good things in it are the things that God has done and things I did to the glory of God. What I’ve done is just failure and waste and ruin. And I despair. Far out I am ruining my own life. But in God is my help.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:25 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” It might be easy to miss, and maybe you think it should read differently, but no, the Bible says it just right. Think about that phrase “Those that oppose themselves”. That sounds like “save me from me” territory. Guess who has been in the way of my own life? Guess who has been my worst opponent? It’s me. Guess who’s botched, fumbled, wrecked, ruined me? Me.

We are a real danger to ourselves. This world is full of people who have ruined themselves. Noone else did it, they did it to themselves. Don’t let it happen to me! God, save me from me. Save me from wasting my own life. Save me from ruining my own life. Save me from going to hell because I would be the reason I went to hell. When you are in hell, the only person you will have to blame is you. There are no innocents in hell. So really, the number one thing you need to be saved from is yourself. You will ruin your own life 100%. Just watch yourself do it! But please don’t. The Bible is written so you DON’T have to.

The Bible says in Acts 13:46 “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” Just read this verse again and maybe get some context as well. But look at that phrase “judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life”. This is really quite amazing. They didn’t want eternal life. They stopped themselves from being saved. The gospel presented on a silver platter, forgiveness of sins and eternal life… and no, me doesn’t want me to be saved. Me doesn’t want me to have that. Me is an idiot. Me is going to get me in hell.

Paul was talking to Jews here. The Jews biggest problem was the Jews. They were their own problem. They cost themselves so dearly. Think of what Pilate saw in the Jews as a people when he wrote “This is the King of the Jews” above Jesus Christ. Crucifying their own king! What idiots! They didn’t know what was good for them. Who would choose a murderer over the sinless Son of God? They had Jesus standing before them and they cried out for him to be crucified. They needed to be saved from themselves. Remember Jesus weeping over their city “if thou hadst known!”

So God… please save me from me! Often I have thought that because I can see so clearly that I am my biggest problem. And I am sure that you are yours. Because we all our own problem. Stop blaming and excusing and justifying and just see who the problem really, really is. Yes you may have horrible circumstances and tragedy in your life, but they aren’t God, look at the example of Joseph and how despite all the wrong he endured, he didn’t let himself destroy himself as so could have easily happened. With Jesus Christ you can rise rather than sink, you can float like that axe head instead of sitting lost in the dark and muddy Jordan river bottom.

The person that will ultimately stop you from getting saved is you. You will stop you from going to heaven. You won’t go to heaven because of you. Likewise, the person that will stop you from obeying God and following Jesus Christ in your life is you. You will prevent you from ever following Christ and experiencing that fullness of life that is found in him. You will rob and cheat and steal from you. Me has stopped me from doing so many things I could have, would have, should have done… but didn’t do. Because me stopped me. God save me from me.

It is no wonder the Bible teaches death to self, and that’s something we have to practically do. We need to die to ourselves so we can be risen with Christ. Our self does not need to be improved, because it will never improve. Reform all you want, do better all you want… but it will be in vain. Salvation is a new creature. It’s a new self. This old “self” I have and that you have… it needs to be died to. Our old self needs to die. We really do need to actually live by faith, because this is faith ground, practical Christian living.

We need to stop and take stock of our lives. I’m already looking back at thirty years… and seeing waste. I see time I can not get back, because I did not redeem it. I see opportunities I had that are lost, because I did not take them. The Bible says to remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth… that’s not optional, that’s pure gold for every single young person in this world who does not want to waste their one shot at life on themselves. See, this world teaches young people that they are entitled to go and have fun and live for themselves… when really they need to be saved from themselves ruining themselves.

Save me from me. God has taught me to stop trusting in me. Me cannot be trusted. Me does not know best. Me cannot do it. Me cannot make it. I don’t even like me. I would rather trust Jesus Christ knowing what’s best for me than me knowing what’s best for me. I would rather trust Jesus Christ with my life than taking my life in my own hands and butchering it. I don’t know what’s best for me, so why would I lead me? So I would rather commit the keeping of my soul unto my faithful Creator. Why do we not trust God but trust in ourselves? Paul learnt not to trust himself, how long will it take you? The biggest threat to me is me, and your biggest threat is you. You is who and what will stop you from ever getting saved and living it. You will keep you from Canaan land. Forget all the noise, that noise in your life is not God… and take a break in the noise of your life to wait for God’s still small voice.

The Lord Jesus Christ is that great Shepherd of the sheep. He knows me by name, he cares for me enough to die for me, he knows where to lead me and how to lead me there. Read Psalm 23. He is able to take me all the way home. When I get away from the shepherd though, going it on my own, I am like that sheep lost in the wilderness, lost and astray and at the mercy of the beasts. I’ve needed rescuing, and thank God he seeks out that little lost sheep and brings it back, bearing it… bearing me on his shoulders. I’d rather be on his shoulders than try and take my life on my own sagging shoulders. The way back for us all? It starts with receiving the grace of God and the gift of repentance and a total surrender of our lives to God. I pray that God will show you the truth of that you need to be saved from you, just like I need to be saved from me.

Blog Bible Christian Faith God Gospel Jesus KJV Salvation Truth