--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God works in mysterious ways. Things may…" description: "\"God works in mysterious ways. Things may look good outwardly, but there may be evil contained inside. Let no one be deluded by pride that he himself ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/rumi-56_awareness_god-works-in-mysterious-ways-things-may_2857399.jpg" --- # God works in mysterious ways. Things may look good… ![“God works in mysterious ways. Things may look good outwardly, but there may be evil contained inside. Let no one be deluded by pride that he himself has conceived good ideas or done good deeds. If everything were as it seemed, the Prophet would not have cried out with such illuminated and…” quote by Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/rumi-56_awareness_god-works-in-mysterious-ways-things-may_2857399.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/rumi-56_awareness_god-works-in-mysterious-ways-things-may_2857399.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/rumi-56_awareness_god-works-in-mysterious-ways-things-may_2857399.jpg) > “God works in mysterious ways. Things may look good outwardly, but there may be evil contained inside. Let no one be deluded by pride that he himself has conceived good ideas or done good deeds. If everything were as it seemed, the Prophet would not have cried out with such illuminated and illuminating perspicacity, Show me things as they are! You make things appear beautiful when in reality they are ugly; You make things appear ugly when in reality they are beautiful. Show us therefore each thing as it is lest we fall into a snare and be ever errant.” [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It warns that appearances can be deceptive, urging a search for true nature beyond outward beauty or ugliness. **In simple terms:** Appearances can be misleading; seek truth. Key Takeaway Look beyond surface appearances. Themes faith perception truth Mood contemplative serious Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - spiritual practice - critical thinking - social justice - personal ethics Key Concepts mysticism ethical discernment Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate true virtue from false appearance? - What practices help you see reality? A Different Perspective Even sincere believers may be misled by false appearances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-deeds/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Mysterious ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious-ways/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [ “I think we should stop treating \["God works in mysterious ways"\] as any kind of wisdom and recognize it as the transparently defensive propaganda… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/i-think-we-should-stop-treating-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-as-any/) [Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) > [When you're not able to play ball anymore, you see who's really there for you. I would say that God works in mysterious ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-diggs/when-you-re-not-able-to-play-ball-anymore-you-see-who-s-really-there/) [Stefon Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-diggs/) > [“God works in mysterious ways, baby, and there is never more evidence of this than when your life is going along fairly well, actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/god-works-in-mysterious-ways-baby-and-there-is-never-more-evidence-of/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [“Maybe she got hit by a bus because she ruined your wedding. God works in mysterious ways. Come here, kitten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-de-salle/maybe-she-got-hit-by-a-bus-because-she-ruined-your-wedding-god-works/) [Thea de Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-de-salle/) > [“Those with less curiosity or ambition just mumble that God works in mysterious ways. I intend to catch him in the act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/those-with-less-curiosity-or-ambition-just-mumble-that-god-works-in/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“And don't tell me God works in mysterious ways," Yossarian continued, hurtling on over her objection. "There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/and-don-t-tell-me-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-yossarian-continued/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [The idea that God works in mysterious ways is rubbish. There’s nothing mysterious about his ways. They’re premeditated and slightly conniving, and they place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/the-idea-that-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-is-rubbish-there-s-nothing/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [The new racism, like God, works in mysterious ways and is quite effective in maintaining white privilege. For example, instead of saying as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-bonilla-silva/the-new-racism-like-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-and-is-quite/) Eduardo Bonilla-Silva > [Just because you cannot see faith, doesn't mean you cannot believe in it until you see God's miracles. God works in mysterious ways. (:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/just-because-you-cannot-see-faith-doesn-t-mean-you-cannot-believe-in/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“When I moved back home to northwest Florida after being a cop and a cleric in Atlanta, I never would’ve imagined I’d become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lister/when-i-moved-back-home-to-northwest-florida-after-being-a-cop-and-a/) [Michael Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lister/) > [As a believer, I know that Jesus Christ has a plan and it's not going to be my plan. It's not always succeeding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/as-a-believer-i-know-that-jesus-christ-has-a-plan-and-it-s-not-going/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [I believe in God. I believe in a higher power. And I do believe that God works in mysterious ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davone-bess/i-believe-in-god-i-believe-in-a-higher-power-and-i-do-believe-that/) [Davone Bess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davone-bess/) > [“GOD works in mysterious ways”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/god-works-in-mysterious-ways/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [“People say that God works in mysterious ways when they really mean that life, or something in their own lives, doesn’t make any sense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hellenga/people-say-that-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-when-they-really-mean/) [Robert Hellenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hellenga/) > [It's often said that God works in mysterious ways. You have to really think about what He's trying to do. You can't be lazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-often-said-that-god-works-in-mysterious-ways-you-have-to-really/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## More by Rumi > [The love religion is all that is written here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-love-religion-is-all-that-is-written-here/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [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/) > [We began as mineral. We emerged into plant life, and into the animal state, and then into being human, and always we have forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-began-as-mineral-we-emerged-into-plant-life-and-into-the-animal/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [There is a morning inside you waiting to burst open into light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/there-is-a-morning-inside-you-waiting-to-burst-open-into-light/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you... This turning toward what you deeply love saves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/sometimes-you-hear-a-voice-through-the-door-calling-you-this-turning/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“You’ve so distracted me, your absence fans my love. Don’t ask how. 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Love is our mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-are-born-of-love-love-is-our-mother/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Water, stories, the body, all the things we do, are mediums that hid and show what's hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/water-stories-the-body-all-the-things-we-do-are-mediums-that-hid-and/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [If your heart isn't yet illumined Be awake always, be a seeker of the heart, Be at war continually with your carnal soul. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/if-your-heart-isn-t-yet-illumined-be-awake-always-be-a-seeker-of-the/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“I came back to You because I could not find the kind and decent things I found in You anywhere else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-came-back-to-you-because-i-could-not-find-the-kind-and-decent/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) [Explore all 1,818 Rumi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. 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It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. 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