proverb · Words worth keeping
Use the means, and God will give the blessing.
Use the means, and God will give the blessing.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Make use of available practical means while trusting in divine help. The saying combines action with religious confidence rather than treating belief as a reason to do nothing.
What the words are saying
The means are to be used before the blessing is anticipated. A believer may read this as encouragement to act responsibly while recognising limits on personal control. The promised blessing expresses faith, not a guarantee of a particular result. A careful interpretation respects readers who do not share the belief and does not explain failure as evidence that someone lacked devotion.
Everyday example
A believer prepares carefully for a useful task while expressing hope that their efforts will be blessed.
When to use it
Use it to discuss practical responsibility alongside religious trust.
What it does not mean
It expresses belief, not a guaranteed outcome or a test of someone’s faith.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1693 · Use
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English