Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
I want to make your life beautiful, the most beautiful life ever lived. To live a beautiful life that you enjoy, you must understand that your life, whether it be the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual aspect, all has to do with what you are doing with your mouth, that is, what you are putting in it and what you are releasing out of it. Life and death are in your mouth.
Your size weight-wise, your development spirit-wise, your health of spirit, soul, and body, whether you are loved or hated, whether you are wise or foolish, whether you are sad and bitter or joyful and unoffended, whether you destroy your life or live the abundant life of shalom I planned for you, whether you are saved unto eternal life or are not saved, all has to do with what you are doing with your mouth. Your life is mouth controlled. Your mouth determines your life.
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in his words, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. James 3:2.
By your words you are acquitted and by your words you are condemned.
You, and those lives who are connected to yours, eat the fruit of your lips. That is why you need to attach to the Vine of Christ (My Word made flesh) and eat and speak the fruit of the Spirit.
And today we are considering the fruit of the Spirit known as “goodness.” This is something that must be going into your mouth and coming out of your mouth.
O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8.
And how do you have a long abundant life filled with goodness?
For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.” 1 Peter 3:10.
I am the source of goodness, I am absolute goodness. It is impossible for Me to do evil. It is impossible for Me to lie. And it is impossible for Me to give you anything but good things and perfect gifts.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:16-17.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11.
Do not be deceived in this as the world has been since Adam ate the wrong fruit and then spoke fear and blame.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20.
Adam fell by his mouth but when you confess Jesus as Lord, you are saved by your mouth
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10.
If it is not good it is not from Me and you can rebuke it and send it away from you. It is all in how you are using your tongue.
Goodness does not come from the outside in but from the inside out. Goodness is an inner quality that works outward. It comes from the core of your being. It is a pillar on which your life is upheld. When Moses asked to see My glory I told him I would show him My goodness. Glory is power exercised in love to produce goodness and eradicate evil.
The benefits listed in Psalm 103 are evidence of My goodness towards you. It is by the extension of My goodness to you that you are forgiven, healed, delivered from the pit, surrounded with love and compassion, have days filled with good things, and your youth is renewed. Psalm 103:1-5. Jesus is the expression of My goodness come down for you to redeem, heal, lead, bless, and care for you. And how do I show you and cover you with My goodness? Yes, you know: the GOOD Shepherd. And in Him and show My goodness to you, but not only show, I shower you with My goodness in Him.
If you want to know what goodness is look at your good Shepherd.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:10-11.
It is My goodness in action, extended to you in Jesus, who came and paid your judgment of condemnation and took your sentence of eternal death in the flesh and paid it in full. He emptied Himself of all He had and gave it to you so that you became rich in Him. He laid down His life for you that you might live forever. And He did it with joy. And with Him and in Him by the grace of substitution of you died to sin and rose with Him to newness of life as a new creation in Christ, indwelt by My Holy Spirit so that you became holy and blameless in My sight, beyond reproach. And if you stay close to your good Shepherd and walk with Him in the Light, for He is the light of the world and no follower of His will ever walk again in darkness but will have the light of life, His eternal blood that works eternal redemption to the uttermost will continually cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Rejoice in that! I have made you who were sin righteous with My own righteousness. By the gift of My Son, your Shepherd and guide, I have led you out of darkness, out of the dark valley of the shadow of death, which under Adam hung over you, into the marvelous light of My house where only goodness and kindness pursue all the days of your life and forever. You good Shepherd has led you out of dark valleys to green pastures and sunlight meadows.
A good shepherd protects, guards, cares for, nourishes and feeds His sheep. He keeps predators away from them and watches over them day and night. He knows them and they know Him and He calls each by name. They recognize His voice and He always is alert to each one’s cry. He will leave a hundred safe on the hillside to go to rescue the wanderer, the lost one, and bring him joyfully home, riding on His strong shoulders on which the dominion rests. He keeps His sheep close to Him and leads them out to lead them back in. He gives them eternal life and raises them up on the last day. He loses none of those I give Him, for I seal you in Him by the Holy Spirit as a pledge when you believe the Gospel of your salvation and confess Jesus with your mouth as Lord.
And how do you bear the fruit of goodness? I send you those whom I have ordained for you to shepherd.
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4.
Jesus told Peter to be a shepherd of His sheep. And what did He tell him to do? “FEED My sheep, FEED My lambs.” Do you see why? You life is mouth controlled, that is, what you are putting in it and what you are releasing out of it. Life and death are in your mouth. My Words are Spirit and LIFE. My Words are Words of eternal life. Feed people My Word and help them grow thereby!
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3.
You are to surround others with My goodness, which is care exercised in love, like a shepherd tends his flock. When the wolf comes He does not run off but stands his ground to defend his own. Even if he has to die to do so.
He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:12-15.
I have given you a great good Shepherd, follow Him and you will always be walking in the right path of righteousness.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-29.
I love you. It is My goodness that has reached out to give you a great good Shepherd by whom I forgive, heal, deliver, bless, fill you with goodness, and renew your youth. Are you enjoying so great a salvation? He will lead you right to My throne of grace filled with songs of joy and deliverance.
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21.
And here is the Psalm of the good Shepherd, fulfilled in Jesus, born in Me, for in seeing and experiencing Him, you see and experience Me.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23.
I and My Son shepherd together and there is no snatching out of our hand.
For thus says the Lord (Adonai) LORD (Yahavah), “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My [n]sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord (Adonai) LORD (Yahavah). Ezekiel 34:11-15.