Then they cried...in their trouble, and...their distress. Psalm 107:6
Do you know what an 'ellipsis' is? Telling a story to someone who already knows some of it? Throw in a "you know", and they can supply the part they remember, sort of a shortcut. Some people use the Yiddish phrase, "yada yada yada" in the same way - it could be from the Hebrew "yada", which surprisingly enough means "you know". As in, "I went to the store for an aspirin, and yada yada yada I spent 50 bucks!" I think we ALL know how that could happen.
It works in print, too. When you are quoting someone and you don't want to use all their words - maybe they (the words) are irrelevant or inappropriate or too long - you can insert three little dots as a shortcut to show that there are words left out. This could be good or bad, depending on whether or not what's left out changes the meaning of what was said. Take that Bible verse up there at the top. If you took it at face value without further research, you might say, "Well, that makes sense. I've had a trouble or two that got me so stressed that I felt like crying."
But if that's as far as you went, you've "yada yada-ed" over some important information.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and...their distress. Psalm 107:6
See? They didn't just cry, they cried (out) to the Lord! Bet you've done that, too. I've found that even people who would have no reasonable expectation that the Lord would favor them - willful sin, outright rebellion, careless ignorance - still hope in His mercy. And you know what? That's OK, since not one of us deserves His favor but all of us need it!
But wait, there's more:
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Psalm 107:6
What's this? It wasn't just empty noise into a vacuum? Some One heard and acted? Why yes, He did. Matter of fact, this psalmist mentions 4 different groups who called out and found a Redeemer. You might even be in one of them, and be at the point in your life when glossing over the details won't cut it. You're ready to know.
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Psalm 107:43
So, find out for yourself, first hand. You might just be surprised at what you've "yada yada-ed" over. The best part could be in the "ellipsis" you've skipped!
