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I don't know why people come to faith. It's undoubtedly any number of reasons, and probably in most cases a combination of reasons. Some people believe because they think it's the truth, some out of fear of hell, and some for other reasons. Do people believe in order to ascribe a higher meaning? I'm not sure what that means, and I suspect it means any number of things. Some people might believe because they find life so dull, they need something, some grand narrative, to make it seem less dull. On the other hand, one of the reasons I believe is because I find the ramifications of our actions in this life insufficient for there to be justice. This can also be described as believing in order to ascribe a higher meaning, but it's much different from the former motive.
But I suspect that the second prong of your dilemma contains some truth as well. Even excluding religious literature, in church we're often told of the wonders of God we're surrounded with, and I can't help but think that this is going to affect how one views the world. So I guess what I mean to say is that, at least in some cases, people come to belief in God because they seek a higher meaning in things, but also, religious faith also tends to lead people to see the higher meaning more often.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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