Hand Me Another Brick Leadership Series: Steps to Financial Freedom (Part 3)
August 28, 2018
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Dear Visionary Leader:
Our Lord has called and commissioned His servants to build and rebuild our lives and ministries for the glory of God. In the midst of this, there will be times we have to get the rubbish out of the way so we can get to the building stones of goodness, greatness and grandness. While we are in the process of moving from what does not matter to what truly matters, the enemy of our soul, the devil, will attack us to discourage us and distract us, to worry us and weigh us down. Yet, we must continue to “pick up another brick” and just keep moving forward. There is no easy, quick way to get this done.
Additionally, each of us are going to need the financial resources to complete the huge task our Lord has given us. So far, in our Hand Me Another Brick series, we have learned the principles of priority, productivity and purity.
As we continue to move forward in the fulfillment of God’s plan for our lives, we need to learn the principle of provision. Nehemiah says, “Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers” (Nehemiah 5:17). You know how many Nehemiah had for dinner every night? One-hundred-and-fifty. How would you like to have 150 for dinner every night for 12 years? Who paid the bill? The government? No, Nehemiah paid the bill. Listen: “Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us” (Nehemiah 5:17).   In addition to the 150, the people were always bringing guests with them. What did they eat? Nehemiah says, “Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people” (Nehemiah 5:18).
D. The Principle of Provision
Wasn’t Nehemiah an awesome leader? Nehemiah gave the best. He didn’t just give the people the old, cast-off things. He took the very best he had, and he set these people down-several hundred people a day.
Nehemiah must have been a wealthy man! He fed them, and fed them, and fed them; and, he refused to take the salary that could have been his as a governor. Why? Because he had learned the principle that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
You say, “Where did he get all this stuff?” God kept giving it to him. Why did God keep giving it to him? Because he kept giving it away. You see, he had learned to be simply a point of distribution. He had learned what Jesus taught: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (Luke 6:38).
You can’t out-give God. Nehemiah found that out. Why did God take care of Nehemiah? Because Nehemiah put God first; because he walked in integrity; and because he had generosity.
The Bible says very clearly, “He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly. . .” You want a small crop? Just plant a few seeds. You want a big crop? “. . . And he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Here, then, are seven keys to generous giving:
E. The Principle of Prominence
The last principle is prominence. Nehemiah says, “Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people” (Nehemiah 5:19). Do you think God forgets when you’re generous? He does not. Nehemiah depended upon God to reward him. He wasn’t looking to a man. He was looking to God, and he was depending upon God to supply his every need.
Nehemiah said, “Oh God, now You think upon me. I’ve put You first. Now Lord, You’re going to put me first.” And, God will do it. He will do it! As surely as there’s a God in Heaven, He will do it. You put God first, and God will think upon you for good and take care of you.
In Psalm 35:27 we read, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Did you know that God enjoys our prospering? He really does. God doesn’t want His people to be in financial bondage. He wants to set us free. Here are the principles: priority, productivity, purity, provision and prominence. We can trust God!
Until The Last Person Has Heard,  Dr. James. O. Davis
Founder/President
Global Church Network
Cochair / Global Networking
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