Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“She came to her mother-in-law, who said, ‘How did things go with you, my daughter?’ Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’ She replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, June 14, 2026
by Madison Johnston, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: There are many ways for us to be bold in faith—to advocate for ourselves and others.
The theme of our story today is commonly seen as boldness, because Ruth’s behavior has been read for thousands of years as salacious. She approaches Boaz when he is alone and lays her body next to his. (There is even debate about the correct way to translate “feet” from Hebrew—in some instances, the word can be used as euphemism for male genitalia.)
But what if we looked at Ruth’s boldness through the lens of advocacy, and not seduction? Historically and literarily, this would be the more accurate reading of the text. Ruth is not acting boldly for the sake of acting boldly—she is acting boldly as a means to an end. She and Naomi need safety. Security. A legal anchor in a society where being any type of single woman guarantees you disenfranchisement.
Ruth has risked everything she has, and everything she is, out of her belief that her God will protect and provide for her and her mother-in-law. When we read this portion of the Book of Ruth through the lens of advocacy, we see Ruth not as a self-centered vixen, but as somebody who is willing to make daring, gutsy moves that are both inspired by her faith and intended to help her live into it more fully.
We also notice that Ruth is not the only bold one in this story! True advocacy here is shared between three actors, each operating out of—and aiming to bolster—deep faith, themselves:
● The Ideator (Naomi)
a. A namer of a discrepancy or conflict
b. A brainstormer; a hypothesizer and strategist
c. An original communicator—she speaks the need into the world for the first time
d. Usually a beneficiary of the proposed changes
● The Instigator (Ruth)
a. An active listener and sympathetic believer; a receiver who is willing to be shaped/moved
b. A bold and committed actor; an embodier
c. A secondary communicator—a translator between the Ideator and the Reciprocator
d. Usually a beneficiary of the proposed changes
● The Reciprocator (Boaz)
a. Also a listener and, ultimately, a believer—simply from the other end of the exchange
b. Also a brainstormer and strategist of solutions—simply from the other end of the exchange
c. An agent of change in communication; an answerer to the Ideator and Instigator; an accountability-taker for the lived solutions (as opposed to the hypothetical ones)
d. Also a beneficiary of the proposed changes
How can this passage from Ruth help us understand the sociopolitical landscape we’re navigating today? Who does our faith tell us we need to advocate for in our day-to-day lives? And which role, or roles, might the Holy Spirit be calling us to take up, remembering that we will never be alone or isolated in the holy work of boldness?
