The word ingested means to take into the body by means of eating it or absorbing it.
This was the challenge to Hillslife Church in March, is our faith ingested? Or is our faith worn? An outer layer of protection … but really only skin deep.
The Gospels tell the story of Jesus, his life and testimony. But they also capture the journeys of his followers, the disciples.
These super believers, that walked with Jesus, that displayed incredible faith and were just about perfect in every way!
NOT!!!!
Possibly as important as the walk of Jesus and the retelling of his many miracles, signs and wonders, his extraordinary wisdom and insight is to understand the many struggles and doubts of his disciples.
Not extraordinary men, but ordinary men.
Men, though, who witnessed Jesus give sight to the blind, empower crippled men to walk, to even raise from the dead!
These same men who also struggled with faith, slow to understand, to trust … these are the lives we can learn from.
Imagine seeing 5000 people fed from just a few loaves and fish – impossible right?
Watching Jesus heal the sick, clear skin diseases (leprosy), and then fall asleep while crossing a lake.
Then in Matthew 8 it tells the story of the disciples caught in a big storm. “We’re going to drown” yelled the disciples (many of who were fishermen) … Jesus replies;
“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
While Jesus may seem unattainable, the disciples were ordinary men. In fact salt of the earth sort of guys.
Their faith may have been worn while Jesus was alive – but when Jesus died and rose again – well then their faith was absorbed!
Read Acts and see the change … no longer fear, doubt, pride … but boldness, courage, love and humility.
Faith ingested is only found when God is revealed – when He becomes personal, intimate, someone instead of something.
My encouragement is to challenge your faith, ask questions, explore your doubts and dig deep into the truth of who Jesus is and how we can have a personal relationship with him.