“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.” Proverbs 18:20 NKJV

Today we have a very interesting verse! It is filled with much wisdom and a secret to a successful life. I want to focus on two words today, “satisfied” and “Filled.” The first word we encounter speaks about the goal of every person on the planet! The word translated satisfied is the Hebrew word meaning to “be in a state of physical contentment due to having physical needs met in abundance or excess.” We read a promise in the book of Deuteronomy,

“10“Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore (solemnly promised) to [give] your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–to give you, [a land with] great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn (excavated) cisterns (wells) which you did not dig out, and vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are full and satisfied, 12then beware that you do not forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13You shall fear [only] the LORD your God; and you shall serve Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] and swear [oaths] by His name [alone].”

Deuteronomy 6:10-13 AMP

WOW! Who wouldn’t want that in their lives? We must consider though the appearance of the word “then” at the beginning of the promise. So what needs to be in place that we might receive this abundance?

““Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one [the only God]! 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being]. 6These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind. 7You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up. 8And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand (forearm), and they shall be used as bands (frontals, frontlets) on your forehead. 9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 AMP

We clearly see that it is in keeping God’s Word that we then reap the benefits of the promise! One must remember however that it is more than just knowing and speaking it, it is doing it that brings the result! Look at the second part of our verse today, “From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.” The Hebrew word produce there is the word meaning to “receive that which is harvested; to receive a wage; income from work.” It couldn’t be clearer! We receive the fruit of our lips through working His word! The Apostle James put it this way,

“What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient–genuine faith produces good works.] 15If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves,” but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do? 17So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective]. 18But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].”

James 2:14-18 AMP

If all we do is know and say the Word it is ineffective. We must do the Word of God to see its results in action! The Apostle Paul warned the Galatians,

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap. 8For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.”

Galatians 6:7-9 AMP

I am reminded of the words of our Savior,

“By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].” 

Matthew 7:16-20 AMP

If you are longing to be filled and satisfied check out your walk? Are you doing the Word or are you just going through the motions? Let me encourage you today that God is not a man that He should lie! Trust Him and His Word and you too can be filled and satisfied! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken