The desire for fullness is one that we all have. It is in the satisfaction of being secure in the provision for our emotional, spiritual, physical needs we can find true rest. In the absence of fullness, there is hunger, desire, and want. We all can be guilty of ignoring that emptiness. Seeing it as a sin, we can avoid acknowledging it. Finding ourselves busy with other things of importance, we can neglect it. Left unaddressed it will expand inside us; hollowing us out as it searches to be filled. Proverbs 27:7 says “to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” That emptiness is prone to produce gluttony that will distort our wants and desires. Creating longing, it can leave us grasping at “every bitter thing” for the peace and comfort of temporary relief.
But emptiness is not the enemy; it is an indicator of a need. As we seek to full the desire within us we face an onslaught of options. Driven in our own insecurities and weakness, our focus could be drawn to various deficient sources for a solution. Those alternatives will lead us to maladaptive behaviors and habits that deplete us further. They are poison to our souls. Like acid, they burn through us producing greater pain in our already aching hearts. God is the one true source of fulfillment. Psalm 107:8-9 says, “Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” He alone can fill us to satisfaction.
Emptiness and hunger will come in our lives. It is part of the brokenness of our world. We can’t control or change that reality. However, those of us who are in Christ, have been given the divine blessing to choose where we will look to satiate our desires. An even greater blessing is that we have been granted the knowledge that when we set our attention on God we will be filled. In John 6:35 Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” If you find yourself with emptiness and longing, allow yourself to be filled by God. He is faithful to fill you with nourishment that will sustain you.