My words bring me joy.

In the book of Genesis, we learn about the garden of Eden and the two trees that the Lord instructed Adam and Eve about. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. God commanded that they could eat from every other tree in the garden, but warned them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know that if they had eaten from the tree of life, man would have never died.

However, Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate from the forbidden tree, resulting in the consequences of being sent out of the garden and man's life becoming a mixture of good and evil. This begs the question, what happened to the second tree, the tree of life? Did God remove it completely from the earth?

Proverbs 15:4 tells us that a "wholesome tongue is a tree of life." This means that just as the tree of life in the garden of Eden could have offered immortality, our words can also bring us life. No wonder the Bible states in Proverbs 18:21 that "death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." This is why it is important to use our words wisely and to actively commit to speaking positive words. Proverbs 15:23 (NKJV) also states "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!"

This means that by the functions of our tongues, we can enjoy life and also experience joy.

• I encourage you today to use your tongue wisely in all things and at all times.

• I encourage you to actively and intentionally commit every day of this year into God's hands, declaring that all the words you will speak, bring you life and joy in the name of Jesus.

• Go ahead and declare that you have a wholesome tongue.

• Declare that your words will not only bring you life and joy but also to others around you.

By the words of your mouth, you become a source of life and joy for others in the name of Jesus.

In addition to a wholesome tongue, the Bible also equates wisdom (Proverbs 3:13-18), soul-winning (Proverbs 11:30 NKJV), and the satisfaction of a man's desire (Proverbs 13:12) to a tree of life. As we start this new year, let us commit to using our words to bring life and joy, and to become a source of positivity for others in the name of Jesus.

Join me in the following video as we pray these words into our lives.