Welcome to the gathering of the wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. Oh yes, you belong here. You are part of this club of the wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. Perhaps you just forgot. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world. If you have any amount of money in the bank and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. That’s you isn’t it!!!!! I knew it! You are wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. You and I have so much to be thankful for, and today is the day designated for our gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving my friends.

Today’s devotional is titled “Bring ‘Em Together.” This is a special Thanksgiving devotional I wrote several years ago and I decided to do it again. You see this year it has a whole new meaning as families are told not to gather. As we are separated and hurting. As we are longing for the way things used to be.

It’s a day of togetherness … Thanksgiving! One of my favorite days of the entire year. For our global listeners, here in America the third Thursday in November is traditionally a day we gather as a family, we cook a feast and we share our gratitude.

However gathering this year is highly challenging. Some of us need to get creative on bringing our loved ones in close today.

Hebrews 10:24 & 25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”

This year, have we given up meeting together? Have we settled for separation? What can we do to be “together” today? Who are you blessed to be with today?

We’re living in a world where we simply don’t have direct human contact with people, and we’re told not to. We’re no longer “coming together”. We work from home, we order our groceries online, the kids watch their classmates on a screen, we have minimal contact with the real world.

And God’s word says don’t fall into the habit of not meeting together. Why does God want us to be together? Because alone we are vulnerable.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “a person standing alone can be attacked and defeated but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.”

We’ve all seen the nature shows where a herd is under attack and then one member of the herd shoots off in another direction. They are separated. What happens? Alone they stand no chance and they are attacked.

Every single day we are under attack and we need each other. We can’t sit hiding behind our screens, we must come together. Before you send me nasty mail on social distancing, I’m talking about the people in your house. COME TOGETHER.

Is there a member of your family who is growing distant? Are they spending more time in their room than with their family? They’re closed off and pushing everyone away. You love them don’t you? They are part of your herd. Maybe it’s your spouse, or maybe it’s your child, or maybe it’s you.

Listen to me, they are in danger. You are in danger. Remember the herd – when one veers off alone they are most vulnerable. Get your herd together!

Today is the day for family dinner and everyone sits together. If you’re married, tonight is the night you go to bed together if at all possible. BE TOGETHER.

Remember what our scripture says, let us not give up coming together as some are in the habit of doing” … maybe you’ve just gotten into the habit of meals being scattered instead of planned, a habit of everyone going to their own room to watch TV. We’ve got to stop that. What’s more important, the show you want to watch, or your family? I’m not saying you have to turn off the TV, if that’s the only thing that will bring your family together, then so be it. Keep the herd together and sit there and act like you enjoy their show.

Meet together. Together, together, together.

If you can’t physically be together, grab that cell phone of yours and FaceTime or video chat. All 3 of my kids are spread out around the world and we don’t get to “be” with them, but you better believe we will be bringing them together in whatever way we can. Why? Because it protects them from the attacks of the enemy.

And while you are together today, God gives us a clear script for our dinner table conversations: Spur one another on toward love and good deeds and encourage one another.

Today is not the day to nit pick or criticize. (Guess what, tomorrow isn’t either just in case you were wondering.)

Bring them together today with their favorite food, then just encourage the heck out of them once they’re there. Prove to them why being with you is more enjoyable than hiding out in their room. Make sure you’re the one who makes everyone feel better just because you were there. You go first. You be kinder than necessary. You let them have their way. Be flexible instead of rigid. Lighten up on the matching outfits and perfectly set table. I promise those things won’t matter 5 years from now. But what will matter is having your herd together.

Our families are under attack. Our enemy has zeroed in on us and his tactic is divide and conquer. Division is his game plan and darn it’s been working hasn’t it? BUT NOT TODAY SATAN. It’s Thanksgiving and I will gather my herd, I will love my herd, I will make this a good day for my herd … so good they will want to come together more often.

Today you have an opportunity to prove why together is better. Be the mom, be the wife, be the sister, be the daughter that spurs everyone else on toward love and good deeds. Be ridiculously encouraging. Talk about them, not you. Serve them. Show them how important they are. And know while you are doing this, you are protecting them. By bringing them together, you are ensuring the enemy’s attacks will be unsuccessful. And that is something to be thankful for!

May you be overcome with sheer gratitude for life.
May you be surrounded by people you love.
May you have more than enough food.
May you intentionally be the happiest person in the room.
May you encourage everyone you come in contact with today.
May you be there, and be there fully.
May you count your blessings and be totally overwhelmed.
May you remember you are truly wildly rich and ridiculously blessed.