The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

What Love Really Looks Like

Daily Devotional, Denise Pagano

Psalm 68:5 — Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

I’m a total daddy’s girl.

And my dad is 82 now.

He’s not perfect…

But he was always there.

When I was little, that looked like getting to go to work with him sometimes. He was a route salesman, so I’d ride along, help stock shelves, and feel like I had an important job right beside him.

Then there was the summer he picked up a side job running the Skee-Ball game at a carnival.

If it wasn’t busy, I got to play for free.

To me, that was everything.

My dad didn’t make a lot of money.

Sometimes that was hard.

But I never questioned whether he’d show up.

Even after I had my own boys, he’d come over after work one night every week. No matter how tired he was, he’d get down on the floor and play with them before we all sat down for dinner.

Looking back, I realize he was building something far more valuable than a paycheck.

He was building memories.

He was building trust.

He was building love.

Now we live in different states, and I miss those evenings more than I can explain.

Because what stays with me isn’t what my dad gave me.

It’s that he gave me himself.

I think a lot of us spend years focusing on what our parents weren’t.

But often, what shapes us most is simply who showed up.

People rarely remember perfection.

They remember presence.

That’s why I love how Psalm 68 describes God.

He is “Father to the fatherless.”

In other words, God’s heart naturally moves toward those who feel forgotten, abandoned, or alone.

The best earthly fathers point us toward our heavenly Father.

And when earthly fathers fall short—or were never there at all—God never does.

He keeps showing up.

Perfectly.

Faithfully.

Lovingly.

So today, thank God for the people who have faithfully shown up in your life.

And if you’re still grieving the absence of someone who never did…

Remember this:

You have never been forgotten by your heavenly Father.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Who has faithfully “shown up” in your life and reflected God’s love to you?
How does knowing God is the Father to the fatherless bring comfort to places where you’ve experienced loss or disappointment?
How can you reflect God’s faithful presence by simply showing up for someone else this week?

July 14, 2026/by Denise Pagano

Stop Waiting, Start Stepping

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

James 2:26 — Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

You know, sometimes I sit around waiting on my breakthrough like it’s going to knock on the door carrying a casserole dish.

But here’s the truth: real change often begins when I trust God enough to take the next step instead of waiting for everything to feel certain.

You see that pattern all throughout Scripture.

God parted the Red Sea, but Moses stretched out his hand.

Jesus called Peter out of the boat, but Peter had to step onto the water.

Time and again, faith responded with obedience.

Because faith was never meant to sit still.

And honestly, that’s where I get stuck sometimes.

I pray.

I believe.

I ask God to move.

But then I wait for certainty before I move.

James reminds us that living faith isn’t just something we believe in our hearts. It’s something that shows up in the way we live.

Faith comes alive when it obeys.

Our responsibility is simply to take the next faithful step and trust God with the results.

So today, don’t just wait.

Pray like it depends on God.

Then take the next step He has placed in front of you.

Send that text.

Make the phone call.

Offer forgiveness.

Encourage a friend.

Whatever God is asking of you, trust Him enough to obey.

Because living faith doesn’t stay seated.

It gets up and walks.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Is there a step of obedience you’ve been delaying while waiting for certainty?
How can your actions this week demonstrate that your faith in Christ is alive?
What is one practical way you can trust God enough to take the next faithful step today?

July 13, 2026/by Tammi Arender

The Gospel Still Changes Everything

Daily Devotional, David Hall, Stories About Songs

Joel 2:13 — Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

Have you ever noticed how quickly the best news in your life can turn ordinary?

The promotion. The wedding day. The birth of a child. At first, it changes everything. Then, over time, it becomes part of the wallpaper.

I think that’s what can happen with the Gospel. It’s easy to wake up carrying burdens and forget that Jesus already carried them. We forget that the story of Jesus isn’t just about getting into heaven someday. It’s about being brought from death to life today.

That’s why I love the song “Running Back To You” by Seph Schlueter. At its heart, it’s a modern retelling of the Prodigal Son story. You know the one.

A son wanders away. A father watches and waits for his son to come home. And when the son finally turns around, he discovers something shocking: the father is still glad to see him.

He’s not tolerant.

Not reluctant.

Glad.

The son had rehearsed his apology, but the father prepared a celebration. The son came home ashamed, but the father met him with love.

That sounds a lot like how God is described by the prophet Joel. He is the God who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and overflowing with faithful love. That’s the Father the prodigal ran toward. And that’s the Father we can run to today.

And maybe that’s what makes repentance so beautiful. It’s not crawling back to a disappointed Father. It’s running back to love.

The Gospel is the best news ever. It announces that Jesus has already done what we never could. What sin separated, Jesus restored. What death claimed, Jesus conquered.

It only becomes ordinary when we forget what it rescued us from.

So today, remember. Remember the chains He broke. Remember the life He gave. Remember the Father who still watches the road for His children to come home.

And if you’ve wandered, even a little, you can still turn around.

You’ll find Him exactly where He’s always been. Waiting with arms wide open.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you allowed the good news of the Gospel to become familiar instead of life-changing? What helps you remember what Jesus has done for you?
Is there an area of your life where God is inviting you to return to Him today?
How does knowing that God is merciful, compassionate, and full of unfailing love change the way you think about repentance?

L Y R I C S

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

I was an orphan
Defined by mistakes
Thought I was forsaken
That You gave up the chase
I went to the reaches
To try and ease the ache
Turned my back on the One
Who kept calling my name
You kept calling

Didn’t matter where I was at
You just kept calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to You

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Now I have been rescued
My soul is remade
But even the ransomed
Can fall on their face
When I’m drowning in questions
When I’ve lost the path
Your love is the answer
You’re calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

It doesn’t matter all the times where I’ve been in over my head
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again
I’m never been so lost where Your love could not fill my emptiness
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you
Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) Oh-oh-oh-oh
I’m running back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You

Songwriters: Seph Schlueter and Jacob Sooter

July 12, 2026/by David Hall