Sweet Freedom: A Devotional

INTRODUCTION

It’s been a heck of a year for me both personally and politically, no doubt for you, too. We all face challenges. We all are fighting some kind of battle. That’s because life happens. You’ve sought answers that escaped amid shifting cultural sands, flighty influences, and perpetual disappointments in politicians and public policy. People ask me all the time, "I want a happy, productive life for me and my country, but what can we do? What is the answer?" Well, you’ve got the answer in your hands!

First, look back at our foundation.

Inland from the rocky shores welcoming our nation’s first settlers were towering evergreen trees and white pines soaring 250 feet in the air, solidly rooted to support their enormous girth. This massive find of a healthy natural resource was better than striking gold! The evergreens would be put to good use to build and heat homes, lay trails, and build rugged ship masts for maritime shipping and a future navy.

Our Founders responsibly utilized the timber until Great Britain inexplicably passed a law that claimed the trees for the English government. When the Crown prohibited hardworking colonists from using what God had provided, resentment grew along with determination to fight for what was right. The evergreen was partially responsible for the Revolution!

George Washington commanded the Continental Army under a flag featuring an evergreen and the words An Appeal to Heaven.

When government takes something from red-blooded patriots, it sure doesn’t sit well. Our government has taken more than trees from all of us.

In my frequent travels across the country, I meet so many good people and see a familiar look in their eyes. Many Americans sense that our exceptional nation we know and love is changing so fast it might become unrecognizable. They experience a sinking feeling after watching the news, they accurately believe their religious freedom is under attack, they see government run amok, and they dread knowing that values held near and dear might soon become relics of a time gone by.

This daily devotional is about that—it’s about taking action to save our country and protect freedom—but it’s also about something even more important.

While many wring hands and wonder where our freedom has gone, you’re going to discover that true freedom—the kind that can’t be taken away—is well within our grasp. In the pages of Scripture, God gives instruction on how to live during these tumultuous times, and assures us we’re here for a great purpose, for such a time as this.

Christian writer G. K. Chesterton was asked, What is the greatest problem with the world?

He responded simply, I am.

Honestly, that’s where the battle is fought—in the heart and mind of every one of us.

Answers to personal and political struggles can’t be found in the next great politician, in any self-exalting self-help seminar, or in the next cultural trend. We can passionately protest, picket, and vote our way to protect constitutional freedoms, but as much as these are imperatively part of civic life, the answer to true freedom relies on a different sort of excitement. Showing you where to look in the Bible will confirm your commitment to live life well and vibrantly, and will unfold the blueprint to secure the deeply American principles of justice, faith, and freedom.

The daily devotions you’ll read are evergreen. There’s no need to date every entry, because each day’s Word is rooted firmly in the Old and New Testaments, the Word of God—and since He never changes you’ll find the enclosed answers are forever applicable; the content is always fresh and new.

This devotional is unlike others because we’re going to spend the year together dealing with real-world stuff. I’m confident that by praying for eyes to see and ears to hear, the pages will meet you where you are, and nudge us where we need to be.

My family and I have been through a lot. Surely you have too, many readers dealing with enormously more devastating trials than I could imagine. One thing I know: there is no way to overcome our personal and political problems with our own strength and understanding. Man is a fallen creature. We’re tempted to live self-centeredly. But if we do, we’ll end up doubled over by life’s gut punches. I’m right there with you, certainly never setting up either myself or my family as holier than thou. (We’re really just a normal family, always banding together, no matter what . . . and a lot of those whats, accurately reported or not, often unfortunately get splashed across tabloid headlines!) We recognize our profound weakness and know that our faith, certainly not our own might and power, is the only thing pulling us through trials.

But this is the secret! The advantage is: when I am weak then I am strong. Hear me on this. When we give up self, we create a vacuum that can be filled by God’s omnipotence. It means God can take every dart and arrow aimed your way, all the mocking and negative words spewed, every struggle and pitfall pushing you to the edge, every battle you never asked for but are forced to fight . . . and in His strength we become victorious.

The key is inside. So hang in there and don’t let weariness knock you down. There’s an appointed time for breakthrough; what you’re going through is preparation for something greater. All the hurtful things on the periphery can stay right there—on the outside of your core being—when you focus on God and what He would have you do. Don’t give up; the only surrendering we’re going to do is to let go and let God by acknowledging our inabilities and appealing to heaven to grant the victory. Persevere!

Find your Word in this devotional for every one of your days. Before pressing in to the Scripture and commentary, ask God to guide you in applying it to your day.

DAY 1

MOVE PAST THE COMMA

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

I sure don’t like to fail, but here I am. When John McCain and I lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008, it was one of the most public failures you can imagine.

As much as we fought to win that election, it was impossible to know how the nation would change and morph under the leadership of the guy who beat us. Looking back, it sometimes felt less like losing an election and more like losing a country.

Many of you might be discouraged. Often, I’m there with you: my flesh and my heart fail! But the Bible doesn’t give us the option of wallowing too long. You get one comma’s worth of despair before Scripture reminds us: But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, it’s time to move from the first portion of that sentence uttered by the psalmist to the next. If you are discouraged about the state of our nation, remember God is our strength! Individually and collectively. Chin up. Literally. Look to God.

DAY 2

CONSUMING THE WORD—FINALLY A DIET THAT WORKS

They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:10

Thank you for joining me on this journey. This hasn’t been the easiest year of my very many years! So it’s possible I need this as much as or more than you do. As we go through the next year together, day by day, know that dedicating yourself to praying, studying, and taking action will benefit your soul. I’m counting on that too.

In today’s culture where God’s Words—for example, His Ten Commandments—are literally pried off the wall to be warehoused in some dusty museum basement, it’s easy to forget that we should meditate on them (Ps. 119); use them as a life tool (Heb. 4:12); and mine them for deep truths (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Psalm 19 describes God’s Words as being precious, pure, sweet, valuable, and foundational for wisdom.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, invite someone to talk about how they’re doing spiritually. Encourage them to eat up God’s Word for the inspiration, answers, and healthy life that He intends.

DAY 3

WINNING THE LOTTERY

My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.

John 18:36

For those of us who so love this country, it’s easy to forget that America is not the promised land. Certainly, this exceptional nation was founded on religious freedom and God has abundantly blessed it. As Americans, we have enormous responsibility and a privilege that—compared to the rest of the world—is hard to calculate.

A friend said, Being born an American is like being born with the winning lottery ticket!

I agree with that, but still there is comfort in knowing there’s more. Knowing the kingdom of God is not of this world. I find this especially true as our federal government makes such poor decisions, wastes our hard-earned resources, and even denigrates our faith in favor of sexual freedom above all. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Supreme Court.)

We have been blessed, but God’s reach extends much further than our nation’s porous borders. He existed long before America and will exist long after. He is the Alpha, the Omega. The beginning and the end.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, get involved and do something specific to help make America great, and think big about doing everything you can to fundamentally restore her. As politicians, policies, and programs come and go, real hope, and real restoration for our country, rest squarely on our relationship with God.

DAY 4

FORGIVE ME, FOR I HAVE SINNED

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .

Romans 3:23

Every single human being has sinned and will sin again. Darn it. I’m right there at the top having to acknowledge mine. Double darn.

I was baptized Catholic as a baby, part of a big, loyal Irish Catholic family led by our patriarch, Grandpa Clem Sheeran. Later, when I became of age to make the conscious decision to publicly testify of my walk with Christ, I was baptized in the icy waters of Little Beaver Lake. When Pastor Riley dunked me under the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I was then lifted out of the water and . . . I was still the same Sarah Heath.

Yes, I’d just testified to joining the righteousness of Christ Jesus, but I still lived in the fallen world, a world overrun by sin, which is easy to see just by looking at the news, or in the mirror.

No one is perfect, and in case we forget that, this verse bluntly reminds us we all need the mercy of God in the midst of our mess. And friends, with all due respect, we are a mess. Consider the example of our elected national leaders supporting a treaty with Iran that lifts sanctions against this enemy nation instead of punishing its evil acts—while still fully acknowledging that it’s the top sponsor of worldwide Islamic terrorism and is hell-bent on destroying both America and Israel. Yes, we are a mess. Lord have mercy.

And what about us? It may be a hard-to-accept truth, but fallen man’s nature puts us all in the same boat until we ask for the life-saving newness God offers. Accepting it is the only way to clean up the mess.

It’s an important step to honestly admit that we try to excuse things in our own lives because they don’t seem as bad when compared to what someone else has done. But we’ve got to call those things what they are: sin. Only then can we repent and be forgiven.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, examine your conscience, confess your sins, and rest in the comfort of the Lord’s forgiveness.

DAY 5

GARDEN TIPS FOR REFRESHMENT

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. . . .

Psalm 19:7

Know what needs refreshing? My ridiculous garden I try to grow to show kids where food comes from. I might as well just designate it the local critters’ favorite feed. It’s never really worked even for one big salad. I do not have a green thumb, but even I know that dead things—or things almost dead—need refreshing.

Bet you need a little refreshing or revival in your life, too. I do. This nation does. Remember those old traveling tent meetings where a visiting preacher would ask God for a revival? Well, don’t wait for a church to put up a tent to come before God and ask to be refreshed. He’ll do it right now, right where you are! When we all do this, our collective prayer for nationwide revival is answered.

The first part of the verse is even more telling: The law of the Lord is perfect.

As our nation changes and laws fundamentally transform beyond anything our Founding Fathers imagined, it’s easy to get discouraged. Even downright angry.

But God’s Word proves itself as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. It shows us not to put hope in things that man concocts. God’s law—and only His law—is perfect.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, resolve not to look to government to solve your problems or give you peace. Instead, seek and receive God’s revival; you’ll flourish!

DAY 6

THIS, THEN, IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:10

When the bestselling book The Prayer of Jabez came out, people began praying the age-old prayer that Jabez uttered long ago. Immediately, as sometimes we do over anything that is popular, some Christians didn’t like the fad or trend. They said it’s not best to simply repeat the words that someone else prayed, and some even insisted it’s not scriptural because God wants us to pray from the heart, rather than repeat set words.

Whatever. If your heart is in the words, there’s nothing wrong with a convenient recitation. God actually gave us a prayer to repeat so He can’t be against such a thing. His was the ultimate prayer to emulate—the Lord’s Prayer. In Matthew, Jesus says, This, then, is how you should pray, before going into the Lord’s Prayer. That’s good enough for me.

When you recite the Lord’s Prayer, you’re connecting to God for sure. But you’re also connecting to thousands of years’ worth of believers who have said the same words all over the globe in all kinds of circumstances. It’s a privilege to be a part of that.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, if you haven’t already, memorize the Lord’s Prayer. Recite it; say it with the kids before they go to bed; even include what I have with my own family—reciting the Prayer of Jabez for good measure.

DAY 7

POLITICS R US

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

Proverbs 29:2

On Facebook, I saw this great quote: If you are an honest, intelligent, living citizen and think politics have nothing to do with you . . . you are part of the problem! This seems to be obvious, but I sometimes hear well-meaning Christians say, Oh, I just don’t get involved in politics. The only real answer to people’s problems is Jesus.

This is, of course, true. But government matters, and as rotten as it is, politics matters, because when the wicked rule, the people groan. Under good leaders, we can rejoice, and we can lead peaceful and quiet lives or at least be led by the righteous in time of war; under bad leaders, peace and quiet are hard to come by, and strife is our constant companion even in peace.

This is obvious by a quick glance around the globe. When governments are corrupt, when they are totalitarian, the people struggle under government’s oppressive weight. The Bible is not only concerned with our spiritual condition, but our mental and physical conditions as well. As Christians, we must strive politically for a government that allows people to live in peace and that requires righteous citizens and righteous leaders.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, rise up! No more hunkering down, shirking civic responsibilities by being so concerned with the kingdom of heaven that you neglect your duties down here on earth. Your own town, your state, and your nation need you. Ask God to show you how to be involved for the good of our country.

DAY 8

AMERICA’S WAITING ON YOU, CHURCH

. . . or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

1 Peter 2:14

Do you know where the phrase separation of church and state comes from? If you guessed the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, you’d be wrong. Thomas Jefferson referred to it in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, which had written to him seeking his help. Connecticut had an established state Congregational Church, which meant that the Baptists’ religious freedom in Connecticut was not an inherent right, but a favor granted by the state. Jefferson wrote to the Baptists that he shared their belief in religious freedom, and that under the First Amendment there existed a wall of separation between the federal government and the churches; the federal government was not allowed to interfere with religion, an example he hoped the states would follow.

Today, it’s hip to invoke separation of church and state to insinuate or even demand that the Church have no influence on government and no role in politics. That is exactly wrong. In fact, Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists closes with an invocation of God and prayer.

I love 1 Peter 2:14 because it suggests that leaders really have to know the difference between right and wrong. Believers have a responsibility to teach and provide counsel for our government leaders.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, pray for our public officials, but also hold them accountable—and tell your pastor to quit chickening out when people need to hear truth about right and wrong in politics.

DAY 9

HE CAN LEAD A HORSE, AND US, TO WATER

He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

Psalm 23:2–3

Sometimes it feels like something’s wrong with you if you aren’t eternally optimistic. We have so many blessings here that you feel guilty if pessimism overcomes you. But even David, described as a man after [God’s] own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), had a soul that needed God’s attention.

You’ve probably heard the Twenty-Third Psalm countless times. But really hear for the first time this amazing truth: God led David’s tired, thirsty soul to the water to refresh it!

The Bible is full of people who struggle with being down and out; who struggle with sadness, hopelessness, feeling insignificant. I love it because we can relate. What I love even more is: God takes those struggles seriously. He heals. He restores. He wants to lead us to reviving waters; we just have to follow!

Fellow Americans, if you need restoration of the soul, you have come to the right place. No, not to a little devotional book that I’m sitting here writing from my desk in Alaska. Instead, you’re going to God.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, write down the things that are discouraging you. Then, fold up that paper and give those things to God. I do it, using the paper like kindling in my fireplace on frozen winter nights. Only He can refresh and warm your soul, so quit trying to do it on your own!

DAY 10

TRUSTING GOD WITH YOUR REPUTATION

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1

Funny how you can go from hero to zero in the time it takes a bull moose to charge a noisy hunter coming too close to home.

Governor Palin is the most popular governor in the country, Senator John McCain said in 2008. I was humbled to hear campaign staff confirm to reporters I had the highest approval rating of any governor, at 86 to 90 percent.

Then, I was chosen to run for vice president.

Many of you witnessed it and stuck with me anyway through that adventure. Some days, back then and during the continued onslaught, I asked myself, So where do I go to get my reputation back? My family’s reputation?

Charles Spurgeon wrote, In the matter of personal reputation we may especially be content to be quiet, and leave our vindication with the Judge of all the earth. The more we fret in this case the worse for us. Our strength is to sit still. The Lord will clear the slandered. If we look to his honour, he will see to ours.

I’m thankful I only have to rely on Christ—not my press clippings—for salvation.

SWEET FREEDOM IN Action

Today, identify people who don’t think well of you. (It shouldn’t be hard. Their opinion probably annoys you like a