11/27/2025
“The Hebrew word for ‘give thanks’ in the Old Testament is yadah and it literally means ‘to acknowledge God in the middle of the mess.’
It doesn’t mean ‘feel grateful.’
It doesn’t mean ‘wait until things get better.’
It means ‘God, I see You present even in this.’
In Jewish worship, yadah wasn’t used for victory it was often used in seasons of fear, uncertainty, and waiting.
Thanksgiving wasn’t a celebration of how well life was going. It was an act of surrender when life didn’t make sense.
And that truth reframes everything we think about gratitude.”
- James Bell
