I am always on the hunt for good food places. Whenever I find something that has extremely high-quality food for the right price, I cannot get enough. I want to take everyone I know and have them share in my joy. I joke about how I would pay a king’s ransom to the chef just to have them cook one meal a day for me. That is, if I had any money. Perhaps you can relate.

There are only several that I can chalk up as a “no-brainer” option when figuring out where to eat. These are places that I am willing to tip over 20% to no matter what. If I sculpted a Mount Rushmore of food establishments, you would see the logos of El Charro Negro, Uncle B’s BBQ Shack, Pastificio, and most recently, Collegeville Italian Bakery etched into the smooth granite of the Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota. Each has my business the rest of my existence.

I am not the one who has discovered these jewels. I found out about them from family or friends who speak highly of their merit and had my mouth watering from their endorsement. If you follow my advice and try them for yourself, I have no doubt that whether you’re tasting a chimichanga from El Charro, a rack of ribs from Uncle B’s or a hoagie from Pastificio, you’ll also become an ambassador like me and my informants.

Yelp is founded off this principle. We can’t tell the future, but we can learn from those who have gone before us (that we trust) and anticipate similar results. So, when my brother comes home raving about Collegeville Italian Bakery and how they have a 32-ounce milkshake called the “Embiid Shake,” I don’t really think twice about going. I know I’ll love the place before I even step in the door.

There is a verse in the Bible that says, “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord Almighty.” It’s essentially making the same point but the context here is much greater than finding the next best food joint. The writer is referring to how previous generations have raved about the faithfulness of God to the nation of Israel. Fathers and mothers gathered their families and told their children about the amazing things they have seen God do. Be it the parting of the Red Sea, conquest of Canaan, restoration of the temple, relocation of the Ark to the tabernacle, and so on. Eventually, when the kids got old enough and had experienced God’s faithfulness and intervention in their own lives, they confidently uttered “as we have heard, so have we seen.” Then the cycle repeats.

Although I am young, I can say without hesitation that as I heard, I have also seen, or experienced. A huge struggle of mine while I was younger and one that still lingers is the fact that I can’t physically see God. None of us can, and for that reason many doubt His existence. We can read the historical accounts of what He has done, like the Israelites, or even encounter archaeological evidence supporting those accounts. Yet we remain highly skeptical.

There were, however, a group of people who did in fact see God. These were regular people like you and me who lived thousands of years ago in the Middle East. They encountered the living God in a way that only their generation ever has. He taught, healed, worked, and lived amongst them and spent His shortened life proving repeatedly that He was who He said He was. His works backed up not only His words, but the words of prophets who spoke of Him hundreds of years before with flawless accuracy.

Some of these people believed Him, but many others still didn’t get it. Even though they saw Him do miracles with their own eyes, things never seen before, it still wasn’t enough. In one encounter, after seeing Jesus walk on water and feed 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves of bread, some had the nerve to ask Him “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert…” Yet He remained patient and continued to faithfully reveal Himself to the people, despite rampant unbelief and ungratefulness. In the end, He laid down His life for the whole world and allowed Himself to be unjustifiably murdered for countless crimes against Himself that He never committed. He resurrected after three days to once and for all prove that He was indeed God and show the sins of the world were paid for with His own blood. You need only to believe He did so for you.

Many did and what they saw, they shared. For God had commanded them to and gave them supernatural power to be His witnesses. This is where the New Testament of the Bible comes from. Interestingly, many who saw this and did not believe also shared what they had seen. Men like Tacitus, Josephus, and Lucian published works that corroborate the testimony of God’s handpicked eyewitnesses and disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

So, although I personally have never seen God, I certainly heard His message through these men. And I believe it. That Jesus, who is widely accepted as a prophet, teacher and all around “great human,” is all those things but much more. He is God himself in human flesh, the only one able to save us from our sins. The only one able to meet the full measure of our needs. The only one able to give us what we were meant for.

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18

My life has purpose because of Him. I have a living hope because He laid down His life for me. As I further meditate upon what these men saw, and God chose to reveal, I realize how close He really is to me, although I don’t see Him. He lives in me. Every aspect of my life is cared for by my Father in Heaven.

So now, as one who by God’s grace, has heard, believed, and now seen His faithfulness, I’m more than an ambassador for a couple of restaurants around Philly. I am an ambassador for Christ, imploring you to be reconciled to God in the same way. For this is my life’s purpose! He’s done all the work and paid a price for you. One simply needs to believe that He did so and give their life over to Him.

As sure as I am that you’ll love my favorite food spots, I’m more certain that if you taste the Lord’s forgiveness and grace found only in Jesus, you too will see as you have heard. You will taste and see that the Lord is good and be blessed when you take refuge in him. That is better than a chimichanga, any day.

 

The following scripture was referenced throughout the blog. Check out these wonderful truths for yourself!

Psalm 48:8 – As we have heard, so have we seen.

John 6:30 – Even miracles weren’t enough.

Acts 1:8 – God calls His witnesses to tell the world.

1 Peter 1:3 – The believer’s living hope.

John 10:30 – Jesus is God.

Romans 8:11 – Jesus lives in you, if you’ve received Him.

Philippians 1:21 – Christ gives life.