--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God's blessing is not always to be…" description: "\"God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His wrath.\" — Joyce Carol Oates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png" --- # God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His… ![“God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His wrath.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png) > “God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His wrath.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine favor and divine anger can be intertwined; blessings may come with hidden consequences. **In simple terms:** Blessings can include wrath. Key Takeaway Stay aware of possible hidden costs. Themes theology dual nature faith Mood contemplative cautious Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - making major life decisions - interpreting religious texts - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts divine justice karma moral ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - Can a blessing be a test? - How do you recognize hidden wrath? A Different Perspective Not all traditions separate blessing from punishment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Blessing Distinguished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing-distinguished-2566535/) [Blessings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessings/) [Distinguished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinguished/) [Distinguished Wrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinguished-wrath-2566536/) [God blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-blessing/) [God Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-will/) [Wrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrath/) ## Related quotes > [I do believe that children are all blessings from god. And I feel it's all positive, it's positive experience. You know, I don't like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadya-suleman/i-do-believe-that-children-are-all-blessings-from-god-and-i-feel-it-s/) [Nadya Suleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadya-suleman/) > [I thank god for blessing me with life everyday and for my people whos gone well meet at heavens gates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/i-thank-god-for-blessing-me-with-life-everyday-and-for-my-people-whos/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) > [Every year on this beautiful occasion, we enjoy with love, faith and togetherness. I thank God for blessing me with such a loving family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-year-on-this-beautiful-occasion-we-enjoy-with-love-faith-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first priority will consist in restoring a sense of the acceptance of life as a gift from God. According to both Sacred Scripture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-first-priority-will-consist-in-restoring-a-sense-of-the/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [This is not a quote I just wanted to use this moment to thank GOD for every blessing he has bestowed upon me...good day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayjee-grogan/this-is-not-a-quote-i-just-wanted-to-use-this-moment-to-thank-god-for/) [Ayjee Grogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayjee-grogan/) > [“And all babies were God’s blessing, even those who said bugger quite a lot, and whose presence meant that half the potential wage earners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/and-all-babies-were-god-s-blessing-even-those-who-said-bugger-quite-a/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [We have the promise of God's being our God, and of the blessing by Christ for ourselves, as we are Abraham's seed, yet take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-have-the-promise-of-god-s-being-our-god-and-of-the-blessing-by/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-imperfections-and-failures-are-as-much-a-blessing-from-god-as-my/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Right from when I was born till today, there hasn't been a single day when I have not thanked God for blessing me with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/right-from-when-i-was-born-till-today-there-hasn-t-been-a-single-day/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All these people, all these things came into my life, and theyre all blessings from God. And now that I look back, I realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/all-these-people-all-these-things-came-into-my-life-and-theyre-all/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [Nothing is wiser than giving first to God, cutting back our expenditures wherever we can, and systematically paying off our debts to others, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/nothing-is-wiser-than-giving-first-to-god-cutting-back-our/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [I thank God for blessing me with the tools that he blessed me with to be where I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-crawford/i-thank-god-for-blessing-me-with-the-tools-that-he-blessed-me-with-to/) [Terence Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-crawford/) > [No effort is complete without prayer - without definite recognition that the best human endeavor is of no effect if it has not God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-effort-is-complete-without-prayer-without-definite-recognition/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Easter is God's blessing to the world. It is his way of telling us that, love and hope still exists in the world. May…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/easter-is-god-s-blessing-to-the-world-it-is-his-way-of-telling-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some folks may be really bummed to find that "God bless America" does not appear in the Bible. So often we do things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/some-folks-may-be-really-bummed-to-find-that-god-bless-america-does/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Blessing quotes > [Being a new mother is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-parks/being-a-new-mother-is-a-blessing/) [Phaedra Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-parks/) > [God loves to glorify himself by suspending his gifts and blessings on our asking him for them. We should never presume to receive from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/god-loves-to-glorify-himself-by-suspending-his-gifts-and-blessings-on/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Life is all about experiences and being able to work with good people is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/life-is-all-about-experiences-and-being-able-to-work-with-good-people/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“When Jesus finished teaching in a synagogue one day, a woman called out from the audience, 'God bless your mother—the womb from which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/when-jesus-finished-teaching-in-a-synagogue-one-day-a-woman-called/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) > [“I've never felt a pain that didn't bear a blessing. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-knudsen-hoffman/i-ve-never-felt-a-pain-that-didn-t-bear-a-blessing/) [Gene Knudsen Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-knudsen-hoffman/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/the-only-men-who-become-gods-even-the-sons-of-god-are-those-who-enter/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [“Time wasted can never be compensated”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-wasted-can-never-be-compensated/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [Life is such a very troublesome matter, when all is said and done, that it's as well even to take its blessings quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-braddon/life-is-such-a-very-troublesome-matter-when-all-is-said-and-done-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Braddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-braddon/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) [Browse all 4,617 Blessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His wrath.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joyce Carol Oates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-distinguished-from-his-wrath/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blessing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-distinguished-from-his-wrath/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/joyce-carol-oates-344_blessing_god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-disti_1869066.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God's blessing is not always to be distinguished from His wrath.” — Joyce Carol Oates", "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": "Joyce Carol Oates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God's blessing is not always to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-distinguished-from-his-wrath/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/god-s-blessing-is-not-always-to-be-distinguished-from-his-wrath/#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 } } ] } ```