It’s Thanksgiving! Yada! Yada! Yada!
--I Thessalonians 5:16-18
In January and April of 1997 the hit sitcoms THE NANNY and SEINFELD coined a neologism, a new phrase that has come into popular use. That neologism is “Yada [“YAW-DAW’”], yada, yada!” Elaine Benes, the character in SEINFELD played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has this classic line: “Yeah, I met this lawyer. We went out to dinner. I had the lobster bisque. We went back to his place. Yada, yada, yada. I never heard from him again.”[SOURCE: “The Yada, Yada” Quotes as posted on web page: [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Yada+yada+yada].
Since being used on these two sitcoms, “Yada, yada, yada” has come to mean
“boring or empty talk, something similar to etcetera or “and so forth.” [SOURCE: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yada,%20yada,%20yada]. The true meaning of yada is far more spiritual and sublime. Both Fran Dresher, star of THE NANNY, and Jerry Seinfeld are Jewish. Yada is a Hebrew verb that means “praise, (give) thanks, or confess.” Other Jewish plots and themes run throughout both these sitcom episodes; therefore, we might well assume that the script writers most likely had an acquaintance with the Hebrew origins of the term.
Yada is the Scriptural root of Thanksgiving and praise. The plots in the sitcoms and the neologism miss this basic truth, and make YADA a catch word for boring, but our Christian faith and a lifestyle of thanksgiving and praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are far from boring. Praise and Thanksgiving to our Triune God is always awesome, vibrant, enthusiastic, and exciting.
The root meaning of Yada literally means “to hold out the hand.” It paints a picture of praise and thanksgiving in which God’s people lift their hands to Him in song and prayer. That’s the root heart of our Hebrew term for Thanksgiving, but the Greek term is equally powerful. It is the origin of our English word Eucharist, the term given to our Sacrament of Holy Communion. Holy Communion is always a joyous, exuberant, time of thanksgiving and praise to Jesus in gratitude that He died for you and me “while we were yet sinners,” and Paul uses this same term in our text from I Thessalonians 5:17 in exhorting, “Give thanks in all circumstances.”
I was in either college or seminary when Paul Utley, a distant cousin of mine and now long time Campus Crusade for Christ missionary, first joyfully shared that same testimony with me. At that time we still primarily used the King James translation, and Paul did as well reminding me that we should, “In everything give thanks.” This is the theme of our Thanksgiving message in 2007. “In moments like these, I lift up my hands to the Lord,” and urge each of us “in everything give thanks!”
God Almighty is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving, and the Bible distinguishes between the two. Technically we praise God for who He is and for His attributes. We praise God because He is infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, gracious, full of compassion, merciful, just, holy, our God who heals us, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Coming King. However, our praise has “only just begun.”
On the other hand, we usually thank God for the things He has done for us. We might follow the example her of Andrae Crouch in his praise song “My Tribute” and thank Jesus because:
With His blood He has saved me;
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things He has done.
[SOURCE: Andrae Crouch, “My Tribute” (Newbury Park, California: Lexicon Music, Inc., 1971)].
We thank God “for supplying all our needs according to His riches in glory,” for healing our bodies, for an abundant harvest, for answering our prayers; and, once again, these things only start us on our journey of giving Him thanks.
Yet while praise and thanksgiving have distinct differences, they oftentimes overlap and become synonymous. Of the 111 occurrences of YADA in the Hebrew Scriptures, the translations “give thanks” or “praise” are almost equal in number.
As disciples of Jesus Christ our Thanksgiving must become a daily lifestyle, not just a seasonal happening and tradition. As we continually surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus and become more like Him, the Holy Spirit enables us to “give thanks in everything.” Andrae Crouch has another great praise song entitled “Through It All” that shows us this is possible in all our lives. He sings:
I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong;
But in every situation God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong.
I’ve been to lots of places,
And I’ve seen a lot of faces,
There’ve been times I felt so all alone;
But in my lonely hours,
Yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus let me know that I was His own.
I thank God for the mountains,
And I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through;
For if I’d never had a problem
I wouldn’t know that He could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.
[SOURCE: Andrae Crouch, “Through It All” (Valencia, California: Manna Music, Inc., 1971)].
Begin to thank God for all your trials, for they make you strong. Thank Him that in those lonely hours Jesus lets you know that you are His child. In such times Romans 8:16 proves true in our lives, because “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Thank God for walking with you through the valleys, even “the valley of the Shadow of Death,” for you know “He never leaves you nor forsakes you.” Thank Him for “the storms He’s brought you through,” for you have learned first hand that “. . . in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” [Romans 8:28].
Thank God that in all your trials, lonely hours, valleys, and problems Romans 8:35-39 sustains you: “Nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus—not trouble, hardship, or persecution; not famine, nakedness, danger, or sword; not death, life, angels, or demons; not the present and not the future; not any power; not height, not depth; not anything in all creation.”
We can readily add other things to Paul’s list of crises, fears, and worries that we face everyday, as the Holy Spirit gives us the grace and power to offer God our thanksgiving. Take, for instance, cancer or other health problems. Robin Roberts, ABC anchor for GOOD MORNING AMERICA, is an outstanding example. Battling breast cancer and now half way through her chemotherapy treatments, she often is weak but keeps going. She victoriously testifies, “I’m just so excited because I had the strength to take a shower, Like, Woo-hoo!” [SOURCE: Sharon Cotliar and Jill Smolowe. “I Refuse to Loose.” People, December 3, 2007, 68.]
On the local scene we also have a thankful hero. He is Trent Spencer, age 33 of Ashkum, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on January 7, 2006. Spencer credits his wife Jennifer for being his support and strength saying, “She’s definitely the better of the two of us. She likes to say, ‘You don’t have MS—We have MS, you just hold the title to it.’” [SOURCE: Mike Lyons, “Web Site Creator Heralded as an Angel,” The (Kankakee) Daily Journal, 16 Nov. 2007, A2.]
Robin Roberts and Trent Spenser are contemporary examples of people who practice giving thanks in everything. By the Holy Spirit working in us we shall give Him our thanks while facing financial and economic pressures, terrorism, or even strained relationships with colleagues, family, or friends.
No matter what comes your way, “in everything give thanks,” because Jesus stands beside you in the Person of the Holy Spirit proving His promise in John 16:33 in every situation you encounter: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
“In everything give thanks.” “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It’s Thanksgiving! YADA! YADA! YADA! Thank you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Lift up your hands, and give our Triune God all praise and Thanksgiving! AMEN!
