An Answer for the Longing Heart
I am currently reading the book of Genesis. One of the corresponding Bible study questions I answered this week asked what I found most tragic about the consequences that resulted from Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
For the first time in the perfect Garden, Adam and Eve felt fear, shame, and hid from God. Before their fall, their lives were whole, complete, and lacking nothing. God had provided all that they needed, from fruits and food of all kinds to a flowing river that brought abundant nourishment to all living things. Yet when the serpent came to tempt Eve with empty promises, lies, and confusion, she believed that something better awaited her if she ate the forbidden fruit. If only she had realized that God wasn’t holding anything back from her and that everything she needed for an abundant, fulfilling life was already hers.
It made me think about how often we, too, believe the father of lies—the "grass is greener on the other side" mentality. We believe that if we just had that one more thing in life, we would be whole, happier, better, and complete. Yet when we finally get the better car, bigger house, or position of great esteem, we often find ourselves still empty and longing for more.
More is not the answer.
Today, right now, we have all that we need. Just as God provided for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He still provides for us today. 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.”
Wherever you’re at today, whatever you’re facing, maybe even chasing, there is no need to look farther. As our daily bread, God sustains us, fills us, and satisfies our deepest hunger. The puzzle piece missing for our longing hearts? It’s Him. And how do we receive Him? We simply ask Him, we pursue Him, we read His words to us, we pray, and we wait—knowing that He will satisfy our every need.
If I can pray for you today, please let me know. It would be a privilege I wouldn’t take lightly.