By: Kacie Starr Long
"Well we're movin' on up (movin on up) To the east side (movin on up) To a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin' on up (movin on up) To the east side (movin on up) We finally got a piece of the pie." - Lyrics to The Jeffersons theme song I hummed the tune of The Jeffersons theme song as I flashed a smile at the doorman and carried a moving box full of my mother's precious contents. It was moving day. A joyous day full of elbow grease, last-minute packing, and conflicting emotions that can only occur when one moves out of a house they have inhabited for close to 40 years. As I carried personal items through the lobby of my mother's new building that was deemed too fragile for the professional movers to handle, I couldn't help but marvel at the goodness of God. My mother's new home was a condominium in an established section of town. She had a beautiful view of the city, and although downsized in square footage, she now had access to building amenities that she could enjoy at her leisure. This morning as I spent time reflecting on my mother's move, I asked God what He wanted me to convey to you as the reader of this article. I believe God wants me to communicate His heart for you to believe Him for more. God is our Father, and as a good Father, He delights in giving good gifts to His children. The new condo that my mom now enjoys, is a gift from Father God to her. As I reflect on how God has provided financially for my mom to be in a position to receive such a beautiful gift, I can't help but think of her generosity in giving and her prayer life. My mom is one of those people who pray unabashedly. You may know the type --- the ones who ask God for any and everything! That is my mom. She is like Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10, who passionately prayed the prayer of faith and asked God to enlarge His territory, and for God to be with him in all that he did and to keep him from all trouble and pain. The scripture says that God honored and granted Jabez's request. My mom's new address change has taught me the value of making all of my requests known to God. Listen, I can pray about spiritual things. I can pray for more wisdom. To love my neighbor and be more patient and loving toward my husband... I can pray for the desire to prophesy and read my Bible...but I start stammering when it comes to prayers about material things and extra things, I don't necessarily need but would like to have. Prior to my mom's move, I never thought it possible to live in her new zip code. I simply figured it was out of my reach, and for me to be grateful with the zip code I currently live in. Here's the thing: my current zip code is a nice zip code. It isn't fancy, it isn't impoverished it is...nice. But something happened inside me as I toured my mother's new living space and drove through her new neighborhood. It was as if the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit, to let me know that with God, ALL things are possible, and to never limit God, or settle in a belief that something is "too rich" or beyond my attainment. God wants YOU to believe Him for more. God blessed my mom with a new condo, but what He has done for my family is so much more than that. He has opened our eyes to see that with HIM, more is possible. With God, upgrades can happen, and that with Him, "moving on up" is possible. To ask, believe and receive. Jabez didn't need for his territory to be enlarged. It was a desire of his, and God granted his request. I am learning to continue seeking God and His Kingdom first and to believe that all things will be added as in Matthew 6:33, while also learning that I can believe God and ask Him for the desires of my heart. I trust God that He knows best, and will give me His best --- whether His best is a "Yes!" to my request or a "No!" simply because He has something better. In the opening credits of the 1970's tv sitcom, The Jeffersons. An African American couple is featured, George and Louise Jefferson who move from Queens, New York to a fancy high-rise apartment in Manhattan. The singer and gospel choir croon how this couple is "Moving on Up." God wants to move you up. He wants to bless you and prosper you. He wants to give you more and He wants you to believe Him for more. I believe that you have a heart for God, you love God and desire to know Him even more. Otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this article. There is prosperity and blessings that God desires to give you. Not because you deserve it. Not because you do everything right, but just because you are His child. It is my prayer that you will believe and accept the fact that God wants to move you up in Him and for Him. Believe in God for more. Like Jabez, ask God for what you want and not just for what you need. My mom's life proves that God can handle both.
This article was published in Jewel Warrior, a Christian women's online devotional. Please subscribe to receive encouraging devotionals each day from women from around the world.
Hi, my name is Kacie Starr Long. I am an author, speaker and I love to use my voice to point people to Jesus. When I'm not writing, I'm either working out at Orange Theory Fitness or sewing. God delivered me from food addiction and I have a sewing ministry for women who have been previously incarcerated and at-risk teens. I am the proud wife to Alfred T. Long, Sr and together we lead a non-profit that serves prisoners and their families. Connect with me at www.InspiredOverflow.com and via my YouTube page for more daily Christian teachings and encouragement.