Have You Had Your Wheaties Today?

Many had been misled by those television commercials with their popular endorsements. They had been told that if they would eat these cereals, they would one day be a champion.

So many of the commercials today that we see, are deceiving and misleading. For example, they tell us that if we will:

• Brush our teeth with a certain kind of a tooth paste

• Wear a certain kind of tennis shoes

• Drive a certain kind of a car

• Wear a certain kind of blue jeans

We will be able to achieve our desired goals in life.

But in actuality, these things have nothing to do with our success in life.

Illus: These commercials make you think of the country folks who had never been to town. They were driving downtown in New York city, and they came to this large building. They stopped their old car like the Beverly Hillbillies, and went into the building. As the man and his wife walked into the building, they saw an elevator for the first time in their lives. The man’s wife said, “Pa, what is that?” Pa said, “I dunno!” About that time the doors opened, and this ugly woman got in and the door closed. They stood there and watched the doors for a few seconds to see if the woman would come out alive. Soon the doors opened up again, and this gorgeous woman walked out of the elevator. The old country man looked at his wife and said, “Woman, get in that thing and shut the door, and see if you can come out looking that good!”

Actually, the woman getting on or off the elevator had nothing to do with making her beautiful.

And these things that we see on television, have nothing to do with our success in life. We all have been deceived by the various kinds of commercials on television.

But the Word of God tells us how we can come out looking good. Let’s look at this passage of scripture, to see how we can all look good in the eyes of God.

There are TWO things we must possess in order to be a champion for Christ.

I. WE MUST HAVE FORTITUDE

We must have FORTITUDE, and we can see this so clearly in the life of Israel.

God miraculously delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. But once the Lord delivered them from slavery, things still were difficult for them as they marched toward the promised land.

It was approximately two years later, that they arrived at the Jordan River, the final obstacle between them and the promised land.

Canaan was the land they had long sought to reach. It was the land that flowed with milk and honey, and they expected God to pour out His blessings on them there.

Some like to think of Canaan as a picture of heaven. But Canaan is not a good picture of heaven, because once they got there, they still had many battles to fight.

The reason we say it is not a good picture of heaven, is because once we get to heaven there will be no more battles to fight.

Look at Revelation 7:17. We read, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Canaan does not represent heaven, it best represents the life where God gives His people VICTORY, AND A PLACE OF BLESSING.

Israel had been brought out of slavery in Egypt, with the hope of reaching this blessed place. However, when they finally arrived at this place of blessings, they found some very large obstacles in their path.

They had some GIANTS to keep them from going in the land of blessings.

We all have giants in our lives that are obstacles in our path. These giants can keep us from the blessings of the Lord. These giants in our lives must be overcome, or they will prevent us from entering our Canaan, and they will defeat us spiritually.

Look at Numbers 14:6-9 “And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are BREAD FOR US: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”