It’s natural to want comfort and ease in our lives. We strive for success, stability, and security, hoping that these things will bring us happiness and contentment. But what if I told you that it’s actually discomfort and dissatisfaction that can lead us to true fulfillment? 

In times of difficulty and struggle, we often find ourselves questioning why we are facing such challenges. We may pray for relief, longing for our situation to improve. But what if these struggles are actually a gift? What if they are meant to awaken a hunger in us – a hunger for something deeper, more meaningful, and ultimately more fulfilling than any temporary comfort or success? 

The Bible tells us that God goes where He is wanted. He will bypass 99 lukewarm hearts and anoint the one hungry person. He will bypass 100 sleepy churches and put His hand on the one that wants His presence. The key to revival is hunger. 

So how do we come to want God? It’s often through the very discomfort and dissatisfaction we try to avoid. The gap between what we want and where we are is what creates the hunger. And sometimes, God will intentionally put us in difficult situations to stir up that hunger and draw us closer to Him. 

The gap between what we want and where we are is what creates the hunger.

It’s easy to get caught up in trying to fulfill our desires in the wrong places. We may seek relationships, success, or material possessions to satisfy our longing for love, purpose, and security. But the world is not designed to fulfill the kind of hunger we have. It may provide temporary relief, but it cannot satisfy us in the long run. 

For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves —  cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.

Jeremiah 2:13

In Jeremiah 2, God says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” We often reject the very source of living water and try to dig our own wells, only to find them dry and unsatisfying. 

David, the king of Israel, discovered something better than anything the world could offer. He said, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” David had power, recognition, and pleasure, but he realized that God’s loving kindness was better than all of that. 

So the next time you find yourself in a difficult or uncomfortable situation, don’t despair. Instead, ask God to awaken your hunger for Him. Seek fulfillment of your deepest longings in Him alone. And remember, the gap is the gift. It’s only through discomfort and dissatisfaction that we can truly find fulfillment and satisfaction in God.

The gap is the gift.