--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They say that God makes problems just to…" description: "\"They say that God makes problems just to see what you can stand, before you do as the devil pleases.\" — Elliott Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg" --- # They say that God makes problems just to see what you can… ![“They say that God makes problems just to see what you can stand, before you do as the devil pleases.” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg) > “They say that God makes problems just to see what you can stand, before you do as the devil pleases.” [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s challenges are presented as tests of endurance, revealing character before succumbing to temptation. **In simple terms:** Problems test us before we give in to evil. Key Takeaway Recognize and endure trials to grow. Themes faith resilience temptation Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crises - spiritual growth - ethical decisions Key Concepts theology human nature psychology Questions to Reflect On - What personal limits have you discovered? - How do you differentiate test from temptation? A Different Perspective Challenges may be misinterpreted as divine punishment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Pleases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-pleases-637011/) [God Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-makes/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problems Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-just/) [Stand Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-devil-637010/) ## Related quotes > [“If you are a monster, stand up. If you are a monster, a trickster, a fiend, If you’ve built a steam-powered wishing machine If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/if-you-are-a-monster-stand-up-if-you-are-a-monster-a-trickster-a/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Best friends are the people who make your problem their problems just so you don't have to go through them alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/best-friends-are-the-people-who-make-your-problem-their-problems-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believe it or not, everybody has their problems, some of us just prefer not to discuss them on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/believe-it-or-not-everybody-has-their-problems-some-of-us-just-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Doesn't need a man to solve all her problems, just one that doesn't become a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/doesn-t-need-a-man-to-solve-all-her-problems-just-one-that-doesn-t/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [There are problems that just end up being really hard and by definition the only problems that come to my desk are the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-are-problems-that-just-end-up-being-really-hard-and-by/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Everyone has problems, some are just better at hiding them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-has-problems-some-are-just-better-at-hiding-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every fight poses problems for me. I just have to formulate a game plan and stick with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-henderson/every-fight-poses-problems-for-me-i-just-have-to-formulate-a-game/) [Dan Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-henderson/) > [Drugs ? thy're good for fun, those moments last. For problems they just make it worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniyal-butt/drugs-thy-re-good-for-fun-those-moments-last-for-problems-they-just/) [Daniyal Butt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniyal-butt/) > [That's all it took to solve problems - just sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/that-s-all-it-took-to-solve-problems-just-sense/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [Some men need to put on their big boy pants, get off their mommy's tit, and deal with their own problems. Just proves you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/some-men-need-to-put-on-their-big-boy-pants-get-off-their-mommy-s-tit/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [Problems are just mile markers. Each one we pass means we've gotten better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/problems-are-just-mile-markers-each-one-we-pass-means-we-ve-gotten/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [American culture is often so self-consumed that we often think that our problems are just our problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/american-culture-is-often-so-self-consumed-that-we-often-think-that/) [Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/) > [There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/there-are-no-big-problems-there-are-just-a-lot-of-little-problems/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [I would solve a lot of literary problems just thinking about a character in the subway, where you can't do anything anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-would-solve-a-lot-of-literary-problems-just-thinking-about-a/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Best friends are the people who make your problems their problems just so you dont have to go through them alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narenkumar/best-friends-are-the-people-who-make-your-problems-their-problems/) [Narenkumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narenkumar/) ## More by Elliott Smith > [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) [Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They say that God makes problems just to see what you can stand, before you do as the devil pleases.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to-see-what-you-can-stand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to-see-what-you-can-stand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/elliott-smith-8566_devil_they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to_2459259.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They say that God makes problems just to see what you can stand, before you do as the devil pleases.” — Elliott Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elliott Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They say that God makes problems...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to-see-what-you-can-stand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/they-say-that-god-makes-problems-just-to-see-what-you-can-stand/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```