--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Afflictions are but the shadow of His…" description: "\"“Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.”\" — George MacDonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png" --- # Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings. ![“Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png) > ““Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.”” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Afflictions are merely the protective shadow of divine care. **In simple terms:** Suffering is a protective shadow of God. Key Takeaway Trust that hardships are protective. Themes faith suffering divine protection Mood comforting contemplative Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal trials - health challenges - spiritual growth Key Concepts theodicy spiritual resilience Questions to Reflect On - How does faith reshape your view of pain? - Can hardship be both protective and harmful? A Different Perspective Not all suffering feels protective; perspective varies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affliction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [When we cannot see the sunshine of God's face, it is blessed to cower down beneath the shadow of his wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/when-we-cannot-see-the-sunshine-of-god-s-face-it-is-blessed-to-cower/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Keep me as  r the apple of your eye;         hide me in  s the shadow of your wings,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/keep-me-as-r-the-apple-of-your-eye-hide-me-in-s-the-shadow-of-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God afflicts us because he loves us; and it is very pleasing to him, when in our afflictions he sees us abandon ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-joseph-labre/god-afflicts-us-because-he-loves-us-and-it-is-very-pleasing-to-him/) [Benedict Joseph Labre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-joseph-labre/) > [May our afflictions be few, but may we learn not to squander them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cairns/may-our-afflictions-be-few-but-may-we-learn-not-to-squander-them/) [Scott Cairns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cairns/) > [Your mercies are more than your afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-burroughs/your-mercies-are-more-than-your-afflictions/) [Jeremiah Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-burroughs/) > [God takes the most eminent and choicest of His servants for the choicest and most eminent afflictions. They who have received most grace from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-caryl/god-takes-the-most-eminent-and-choicest-of-his-servants-for-the/) Joseph Caryl > [Afflictions are... if we can so take them, our share in the Passion of Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/afflictions-are-if-we-can-so-take-them-our-share-in-the-passion-of/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The afflictions to which we are accustomed, do not disturb us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius-claudianus/the-afflictions-to-which-we-are-accustomed-do-not-disturb-us/) [Claudius Claudianus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius-claudianus/) > [Afflictions clarify the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/afflictions-clarify-the-soul/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Afflictions, like bills and pikes, make a terrible show when they cannot reach us; but the temptations of prosperity, like unseen bullets, wound and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-downame/afflictions-like-bills-and-pikes-make-a-terrible-show-when-they/) George Downame > [Afflictions tend to wean us from the world - and to fix our affections on things above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-angell-james/afflictions-tend-to-wean-us-from-the-world-and-to-fix-our-affections/) [John Angell James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-angell-james/) > [Saints spring and thrive most internally, when they are most externally afflicted. Afflictions are the mother of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/saints-spring-and-thrive-most-internally-when-they-are-most/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [We are infinitely more than our limitations and afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-are-infinitely-more-than-our-limitations-and-afflictions/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Ah, what is it we send up thither, where our thoughts are either a dissonance or a sweetness and a grace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/ah-what-is-it-we-send-up-thither-where-our-thoughts-are-either-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [You must learn to be strong in the dark as well as in the day, else you will always be only half brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-must-learn-to-be-strong-in-the-dark-as-well-as-in-the-day-else/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“You have tasted of death now,” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good,” said Mossy. “It is better than life.” “No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-have-tasted-of-death-now-said-the-old-man-is-it-good-it-is-good/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [ “I wish I had \[made that song\]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Affliction quotes > [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Henceforth, I'll bear Affliction till it do cry out itself, 'Enough, enough, and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/henceforth-i-ll-bear-affliction-till-it-do-cry-out-itself-enough/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [New materials are one of the great afflictions of contemporary art. Some artists confuse new materials with new ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/new-materials-are-one-of-the-great-afflictions-of-contemporary-art/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [Aimee Parkison offers a distinct new voice to contemporary fiction. Her seductive stories explore childhood as a realm of sorrows, and reveal the afflictions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-anshaw/aimee-parkison-offers-a-distinct-new-voice-to-contemporary-fiction/) [Carol Anshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-anshaw/) > [May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and-may-none-fail-because-of/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [We are infinitely more than our limitations and afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-are-infinitely-more-than-our-limitations-and-afflictions/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [God measures out affliction to our need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/god-measures-out-affliction-to-our-need/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Religion prescribes to every miserable man the means of bettering his condition; nay, it shows him that the bearing of his afflictions as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/religion-prescribes-to-every-miserable-man-the-means-of-bettering-his/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Revolution will free society of its afflictions, while science will free the individual of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/revolution-will-free-society-of-its-afflictions-while-science-will/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) [Browse all 598 Affliction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George MacDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wings/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affliction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wings/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6c/george-macdonald-295_affliction_afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wi_676628.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.” — George MacDonald", "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": "George MacDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Afflictions are but the shadow of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wings/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wings/#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 } } ] } ```