Here is God’s purpose—for God, to me, it seems, is a verb, not a noun, proper or improper.
—Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) American Inventor, Philosopher
A god who let us prove his existence would be an idol.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–45) German Lutheran Pastor, Theologian
I rarely speak about God. To God, yes. I protest against Him. I shout at Him. But to open a discourse about the qualities of God, about the problems that God imposes, theodicy, no. And yet He is there, in silence, in filigree.
—Elie Wiesel (b.1928) Romanian-born American Writer, Professor, Political Activist
Though God’s attributes are equal, yet his mercy is more attractive and pleasing in our eyes than his justice.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
They that deny a God destroy man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and, if he be not kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Each person, makes their own terrible passion their God.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Throw away thy rod, throw away thy wrath; O my God, take the gentle path.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Life is God’s novel. Let him write it.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–91) Polish-born American Children’s Books Writer, Novelist, Short Story Writer
If we really think about it, God exists for any single individual who puts his trust in Him, not for the whole of humanity, with its laws, its organizations, and its violence. Humanity is the demon which God does not succeed in destroying.
—Salvatore Satta (1902–75) Italian Jurist, Novelist
Don’t think so much about who is for or against you, rather give all your care, that God be with you in everything you do.
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
Every conjecture we can form with regard to the works of God has as little probability as the conjectures of a child with regard to the works of a man.
—Thomas Reid (1710–96) Scottish Philosopher, Clergyman
It is almost as difficult to make a man unlearn his errors, as his knowledge. Mal-information is more hopeless than non-information: for error is always more busy than ignorance. Ignorance is a blank sheet on which we may write; but error is a scribbled one on which we first erase. Ignorance is contented to stand still with her back to the truth; but error is more presumptuous, and proceeds, in the same direction. Ignorance has no light, but error follows a false one. The consequence is, that error, when she retraces her footsteps, has farther to go, before we can arrive at the truth, than ignorance.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Our thanks to God should always precede our requests.
—Anonymous
Man appoints, and God disappoints.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
God, I can push the grass apart and lay my finger on Thy heart.
—Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950) American Poet, Playwright, Feminist
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Genius is the union of man and God in the acts of the soul. Great men are always greater than their deeds. They are in connection with a reserve power that is without limit.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
The history of all the great characters of the Bible is summed up in this one sentence: They acquainted themselves with God, and acquiesced His will in all things.
—Richard Cecil
If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?
—A. W. Tozer (1897–1963) American Christian Pastor, Preacher, Author, Editor
We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities, and anyone who has watched gluttons shoveling down the most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were eating will admit that we can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
It is one of my favorite thoughts, that God manifests himself to mankind in all wise, good, humble, generous, great and magnanimous men.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
All men are born with a nose and ten fingers, but no one was born with a knowledge of God.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
God hath entrusted me with myself.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
It is fear that first brought gods into the world.
—Petronius (c.27–66 CE) Roman Courtier, Novelist
Oh the depth of both the wisdom and riches of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond understanding.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
It is better to allow our lives to speak for us than our words. God did not bear the cross only two thousand years ago. He bears it today, and he dies and is resurrected from day to day. It would be a poor comfort to the world if it had to depend on a historical God who died two thousand years ago. Do not, then, preach the God of history, but show him as he lives today through you.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
God is at home, it’s we who have gone out for a walk.
—Meister Eckhart (c.1260–1327) German Christian Mystic
Among the attributes of God, although they are all equal, mercy shines with even more brilliancy than justice.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
The pain that’s created by avoiding hard work is actually much worse than any pain created from the actual work itself. Because if you don’t begin to work on those ideas that God has blessed you with, they will become stagnant inside of you and eventually begin to eat away at you. You might seem OK on the outside, but inside you will be ill from not getting those ideas out of your heart and into the world. Stalling leads to sickness. But taking steps, even baby steps, always leads to success.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
God delays but doesn’t forget.
—Spanish Proverb
God depends on us. It is through us that God is achieved.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
God uses lust to impel men to many, ambition to office, avarice to earning, and fear to faith. God led me like an old blind goat.
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to his good pleasure and rest in him.
—John of the Cross (1542–1591) Spanish Roman Catholic Mystic
You can observe a lot by just watching.
—Yogi Berra (1925–2015) American Sportsperson
Jesus might have said, “I became man for you. If you do not become God for me, you wrong me.”
—Meister Eckhart (c.1260–1327) German Christian Mystic
We can only know one thing about God—that he is what we are not. Our wretchedness alone is an image of this. The more we contemplate it, the more we contemplate him.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself to be these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Poet
I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God’s will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
Become aware of and recognize fully the fact that the Principle of Power within you is God Himself. You must consciously identify yourself with the Highest.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
The one thing that a fish can never find is water; and the one thing that man can never find is God.
—Eric Butterworth (1916–2003) American Spirituality Writer
To love another person is to see the face of God.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
Whoever falls from God’s right hand is caught into his left.
—Edwin Markham (1852–1940) American Poet, Educator
And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
What preoccupies us, then, is not God as a fact of nature, but as a fabrication useful for a God-fearing society. God himself becomes not a power but an image.
—Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004) American Historian, Academic, Attorney, Writer
I hope for the day when everyone can speak again of God without embarrassment.
—Paul Tillich (1886–1965) American Lutheran Theologian, Philosopher
Sir John Templeton: “My ethical principle in the first place was: ‘Where could I use my talents that God gave me to help the most people?'”
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934–2021) Hungarian-American Psychologist
By learning to contact, listen to, and act on our intuition, we can directly connect to the higher power of the universe and allow it to become our guiding force.
—Shakti Gawain (b.1948) American Author, Environmentalist
A foe to God was never a true friend to man.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet