The Connection Corner

Joy That Won’t Stay Quiet

Psalm 28:7 —The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

You know the song.

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…”

If that song doesn’t put a smile on your face, you might need to splash a little cold water on your cheeks and pour yourself another cup of coffee.

I grew up singing that in Vacation Bible School, standing in a line of wiggly kids doing hand motions like we were directing traffic. And even now, years later, that tune still pops in my head from time to time.

And I’ve got to tell you. that song didn’t just fall out of the sky.

It was written back in 1925 by a traveling evangelist named George William Cooke. The world he lived in had just come through World War I. Families had buried sons. Influenza had taken millions of lives also. People everywhere were wondering if the world had lost its mind.

And right there in the middle of all that heaviness, this preacher writes a little song that basically says, Joy can live somewhere deeper than your circumstances.

Not in the headlines.

Not in the economy.

Not even in how your morning is going.

It’s way deeper. Jesus. Down deep in my heart.

And I think that’s why it stuck. Because life will give you plenty of reasons not to feel joyful. Bills show up. Relationships get complicated. But we have to find our joy in Him.

Let the Lord be your strength. Trust Him. Scripture says He will be your help and your shield. Let your heart leap for joy at the thought of that.

And maybe today—before the emails start flying, before the errands pile up, before the news tries to steal your peace—you could take just a moment and remember one way the Lord has carried you through.

When you remember His goodness, joy has a way of rising back to the surface and making you say “Wow!” And who knows…

You might find yourself humming along to those old VBS songs too.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where have you been looking for joy lately—in circumstances or in Christ?
Can you think of a recent moment where God has been your strength or shield?
What is one specific way God has helped you that you can thank Him for today?
How might remembering God’s past faithfulness change your mindset right now?
What would it look like for you to intentionally “choose joy” in your current season?

April 18, 2026/by Tammi Arender

Quit Chasing What Changes

Daily Devotional, Denise Pagano

Isaiah 54:10 — For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

The world upgrades itself while you’re not looking.

I’m standing inside a McDonald’s that barely resembles the one burned into my memory. Touchscreen kiosks glow. Orders appear on screens. Nobody really talks anymore. It’s all faster. Smarter. Updated.

And I can’t help but think about 1974.

Back when McDonald’s sold paper gift certificates in little booklets. My mom bought some for me. I remember the feel of them in my hands. Mom would grin and say, “I’m going to hide these so well, you’ll never find them.”

Here’s the problem.

She hid them so well that to this day we still haven’t found them. We’ve laughed about it for years. Somewhere out there, there is a Happy Meal waiting with my name on it, but those certificates are probably dust by now.

It makes me think about how much of my life I’ve spent chasing what is sure to change and expire. Trends. Approval. The next upgrade. The next version of me that finally feels like enough.

But here’s what I’m learning: God’s love never expires.

God promises that even if the mountains crumble and the hills slide into the sea, the faithful love of God will not change. His mercy toward me is not fragile.

Everything else updates. He doesn’t. His grace doesn’t glitch, and it doesn’t expire at the end of the fiscal year. It was paid for long ago, and it remains.

I may never find those McDonald’s certificates, but do you know what? I’ve found something better. And friend, maybe today, instead of chasing what keeps changing, you can take comfort knowing that God’s love is the same today, yesterday, and forever too.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What are some things in your life you’ve been relying on that you know are temporary or constantly changing?
When life feels uncertain or unstable, where do you usually turn first for security or comfort?
How does the promise of God’s unchanging love challenge the way you think about your current circumstances?
Can you recall a time when everything around you shifted, but God remained faithful? What did that teach you?
What would it look like today to rest—not in what changes—but in the love that never will?

April 17, 2026/by Denise Pagano

Prayers Already in Motion

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

Psalms 116:1-2 — I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Do you ever feel like you’ve been praying for something and nothing seems to change? Week after week and month after month?

Tara would never say that out loud, but that’s how she felt.

She was working at a small customer service desk. Her life was a cycle of early mornings and late nights. Constant worry. Go, go, go all the time. And she felt invisible at work.

No one seemed to notice those extra hours that she put in. No one seemed to notice the way that she stayed late to help customers. But every night when her daughter was asleep, Tara whispered the same prayer.

“God, I’m doing everything I can. Please make a way.”

Weeks turned into months. Nothing seemed to change.

Then one Monday morning, her manager called her into the office. Her stomach drops. You know that feeling, right? You get called into the boss’s office. Oh my goodness.

What did I do? What happened? She thought she was in trouble. She thought that she was about to lose her job.

But instead, her manager smiled at her and said, “We’ve been watching your dedication, and we’d like to offer you a promotion to team lead with a raise, full benefits, and flexible hours.”

Hallelujah!

Tears filled Tara’s eyes. And she realized in that moment that while she had felt unseen, God had been watching the whole time and that he was arranging everything behind the scenes.

She gave God all the glory for that promotion that day. Because you see, sometimes the answer is already in motion long before we recognize it.

So, if you’re in a season where nothing seems to shift—where the desk looks the same and the hallway to the boss’s office feels intimidating—keep bringing your voice to the One who leans in close. Keep praying not because you see results, but because He hears.

And when you remember that God is bending down to listen, something in your heart steadies. Because that’s when you know you are never speaking into the dark alone.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life do you feel like your prayers are going unheard right now?
How does it change your perspective to remember that God is not distant, but actively listening?
Are you willing to keep praying even when you don’t immediately see results? What might that look like this week?

April 16, 2026/by Brenda Price