The Connection Corner

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

When Enough is Enough

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Tammi Arender

Matthew 6:19-21 — Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

The check was bigger than anything Rich Mullins ever expected to see with his name on it.

Songs he had written—honest, raw, deeply about God—were being picked up by labels. Christian radio was playing them. Other artists were recording them. Royalties were coming in steadily now.

By every standard, he was doing well.

But Rich felt uneasy about it.

This was the late ’80s and ’90s. He could have upgraded his life without anyone questioning it. A bigger house. A nicer car. More comfort. Most people would have called that wisdom.

Instead, Rich asked a different question:

How much is enough?

He believed money was a tool, and he didn’t want it quietly reshaping his heart. Jesus had warned that where our treasure is, our hearts will follow—and Rich didn’t want his heart buried in things that could be lost, stolen, or worn away.

So he did something almost unheard of.

He asked his record label to cap his income at what he called a “working man’s salary.” Just enough to live on. Everything beyond that, he gave away to charities and ministries serving people in need.

There were no announcements. No campaigns built around his name.

He kept writing. He kept touring. But money stopped being the thing he chased—or feared. His life became simpler, lighter. And his generosity made clear what he valued most.

Rich Mullins didn’t live a long life. He died in 1997 at just 41 years old. But he lived a clear one. His songs still point people to God today. And his choices still challenge the assumption that more is always better.

Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

What we do with what we have reveals what we love most.

True generosity isn’t about having excess. It’s about deciding what really matters. Defining “enough” keeps money in its proper place and keeps our hearts anchored somewhere that doesn’t fade.

So today, consider what God has placed in your hands. Use it well. And let generosity shape a life that stores up treasure in the only place it lasts—heaven.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When you think about your resources, what feels like “enough” to you?
How do Jesus’ words about treasure challenge the way you think about money or success?
In what ways can generosity help keep your heart focused on eternal things?
What is one practical way you could use what you’ve been given to bless someone else this week?
Where do your choices reveal that your heart’s treasure really is?

SOMETIMES BY STEP

BY RICH MULLINS

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You’d already done

O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step-by-step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days

And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night . . .)
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(. . . Was beautiful)
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(So beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
(O God, you are my God)
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days

Songwriters: David Strasser / Richard W. Mullins

March 8, 2026/by Tammi Arender

When Hope Goes Viral

Daily Devotional, Jeff Connell

1 Peter 3:8 — Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

There’s a man working at a grocery store. He’s wearing a name tag he never thought he would need this late in life.

He works eight-hour shifts, five days a week—not to stay busy, but because the life he planned slowly crumbled.

For decades, he worked as a machinist for General Motors. He counted on his pension and retirement savings. But when the automotive industry collapsed, the pension disappeared.

Not long after that, his wife’s health began to fail.

Medical bills piled up—surgeries, treatments, hospital stays—until the debt climbed past a quarter of a million dollars. So he kept working to care for the love of his life.

And even seven years after she passed away, he was still working.

He worked to survive.

But here’s what stands out: he wasn’t bitter. He wasn’t angry. He was kind. Steady. Grateful. The kind of man who looks people in the eye and asks how they’re doing.

Most shoppers never noticed.

But one day, a stranger did.

They paused. They asked about his life. Then they shared his story online.

And something remarkable happened.

People responded with one heart and one mind—just like Scripture describes. They chose sympathy. They treated him like family. Compassion moved them to act.

Through a crowdfunding effort, they raised $1.7 million—enough to erase his debt and give him the retirement he had once planned for.

But what he received wasn’t just money.

It was rest. Relief. The reminder that his life still mattered.

This wasn’t a sermon. It was a response.

People simply chose to care.

Compassion often begins quietly, but it rarely stays small.

Most kindness will never go viral. Most generosity will never trend online. But every day there are people around us carrying burdens we can’t see—neighbors, coworkers, cashiers, strangers doing their best with a life they didn’t expect.

And God’s love often shows up through ordinary people who refuse to look away.

So pay attention. Slow down. Be tenderhearted.

Because when kindness moves from sympathy to action, it doesn’t just change one life—it reminds all of us what love can still do.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When was the last time you slowed down enough to notice someone else’s struggle?
Who in your daily routine might be carrying more than you realize?
What does it mean to you to be “tenderhearted” in your everyday interactions?
How could you turn compassion into action this week?
In what ways has someone else’s kindness reminded you that you mattered?

March 7, 2026/by lameyers

When Truth Turns the Car Around

Daily Devotional, Kirstie Ford

Zephaniah 3:17 — For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

The car is parked on the bridge with the engine still running.

Jacob sits behind the wheel, hands resting where they’ve been for a while now. The water below is loud—constant, rushing, unbothered—but it still can’t compete with the noise in his head. Every thought feels settled, final.

He isn’t dramatic about it.

He’s convinced.

Convinced he doesn’t matter. Convinced the world would keep moving just fine without him.

The radio is on out of habit. Music drifts in and out, barely registering. He isn’t listening for hope. He isn’t listening for anything.

Then a lyric cuts through.

“Fear, he is a liar.”

It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t argue. It simply names the thing Jacob has been believing. And somehow, that’s what stops everything.

He can’t fully explain what happens next. He doesn’t suddenly feel strong or brave or fixed. What he feels is quieter and deeper—like he isn’t alone in the car anymore. Like the empty space beside him is filled.

Not with answers.

With presence.

As the song continues, something breaks open. Jacob cries harder than he ever has. Not quiet tears. Not controlled ones. The kind that empty you out because you’ve been holding too much for too long.

Nothing outside the car changes. The bridge is still there. The water is still loud.

But the lie loses its grip.

Not because it was debated—but because it was interrupted.

He turns the car around.

That night doesn’t end the way he planned.

Thank God.

Later, when Jacob tries to make sense of it, the best he can say is this: he was not as alone as he thought. What showed up on that bridge wasn’t a solution—it was a Savior who stayed.

Scripture describes God’s presence this way: “The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior… With His love He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

That night, Jacob experienced that promise in real time.

Not distant.
Not disappointed.
Present.

God was strong enough to rescue him, steady enough to quiet his spiraling thoughts with love, and somehow singing louder than the fear that had been shouting all night.

You might be reading this from your own parked place—maybe not a bridge, but a moment where the noise feels overwhelming and the lies feel settled.

Sometimes God breaks through that darkness with one truth, one lyric, one reminder that you are seen and not abandoned.

Staying alive for one more moment can be an act of faith.

Let the truth interrupt the lie. Let presence outweigh fear.

And keep choosing to turn the car around—because you are still here for a reason, and God is closer than you think.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever experienced a moment when a song, Scripture, or simple truth interrupted a dark thought?
What lies does fear sometimes whisper to you about your worth or your future?
How does the promise in Zephaniah 3:17 change the way you see God’s presence in hard moments?
What might it look like for you to pause and listen for God’s voice when life feels overwhelming?
Who in your life might need a reminder today that they are not alone?

Fear Is a Liar

When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause fear he is a liar

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause fear he is a liar

March 6, 2026/by Kirstie Ford