June 28, 2026

Life rarely unfolds the way we expect. Yet God often meets us in seasons of change, uncertainty, and unexpected relationships, expanding our hearts and revealing a love bigger than our fears, assumptions, and familiar boundaries. How do we become part of the bigger story God is writing and the family God is creating?

READ

Ruth 4:1-17

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

REFLECT

1. Share about someone who has changed your life but whom you never expected to become important to you.
2. What experiences have expanded your understanding of God or other people?
3. How does allowing God to enlarge your heart go beyond simply welcoming people who are different?

RESPOND

1. Notice who is missing. Whether at church, work, school, or in your neighborhood, ask yourself, "Who isn't at the table? Whose voice isn't being heard?"
2. Examine your assumptions. When you find yourself making a quick judgment about a person or group, pause and ask, What story might I not know? Invite the Holy Spirit to replace assumptions with curiosity and compassion.
3. Stand with those who are vulnerable. Look for opportunities to share life with immigrants, refugees, people experiencing homelessness, foster families, or others who are on the margins of society. Pray for them, and consider tangible acts of solidarity or accompaniment.

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