Breakfast of Champions

What is it about a cereal box that’s so incredibly mesmerizing? I don’t think it’s the gripping plot in the box copy. Flawless design and compelling script? Probably not. But it doesn’t matter how old you are or how mature you may be. And it doesn’t matter how ridiculously juvenile the game or puzzle or its target audience, there’s some sort of magnetic attention sucker built into every challenge-less “which of these is the same” puzzles. The back of the box drags you in. Go ahead and fight it if you want. It’s futile. Your brain is going to do that word search whether you want it to or not.

I guess it’s at least partly because there’s not always reading material handy at the breakfast table. If the newspaper is late, it’s either the back of the box or you find yourself stuck reading the nutrition label for the gazillionth time. How many times can you calculate your daily intake of riboflavin in a bowl and a half of those Sugar Crunchies before you just have to flip the box?

What a great inspiration for us as believers to always keep our Bibles within reach of the breakfast bowls. We need to make God’s Word the center of the perfect place setting. If our minds are going to be sucked into something, why not let it be something with a full day’s supply of spiritual vitamins and iron? There’s nourishment in His Word every time we search it. It’s an entirely different kind of Word search. The Message phrases Psalm 119:20 this way: “My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!—insatiable for Your nourishing commands.” Verse 147 says, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word” (NIV). There’s nothing like rising early for the most important meal of the day.

God’s Word! Now there’s a breakfast of champions. Verse 103 in Psalm 119 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (NIV). Honey-sweetened and good for us, too! No Frosted Honey O’s compare.

Starting the day with His Word—there’s no puzzle or brain-teaser there. As a matter of fact, it’s a total no-brainer. The same Psalm says, “May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees” (verse 171, NIV). Sounds like questionable breakfast table manners, but this kind of lip-overflow is perfectly okay. In truth, it’s all part of this complete and balanced spiritual breakfast. You’ll like it—hey, Mikey, will too.

Rhonda Rhea is a radio personality and a conference speaker for events all over the country. She is the wife of First Baptist Church of Troy, Missouri’s pastor, Richie Rhea, and mother of five, two in college and three teens at home. She has authored several fun and fruitful books, including Turkey Soup for the Soul—Tastes Just Like Chicken, Who Put the Cat in the Fridge, I’m Dreaming of Some White Chocolate, and more. Her newest book, High Heels in High Places—Walking Worthy in Way Cute Shoes is scheduled for release in a few weeks with more books on the way. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.net.