Category: Daily Devotionals – Smith Wigglesworth

December 27

No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 12:3

Scripture reading: John 14:16–31

The Holy Spirit has a royal plan, a heavenly plan. He came to unveil the King, to show the character of God, to unveil the precious blood. Since I have the Holy Spirit within me, I see Jesus clothed for humanity. He was moved by the Spirit and led by the Spirit. We read of some who heard the Word but did not benefit from it, because faith was lacking in them (Romans 9:6–8). We must have a living faith in God‘s Word, a faith that is quickened by the Spirit.

A man may be saved and still have a human spirit. In many people who hear about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the human spirit immediately arises against the Holy Spirit. The human spirit is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be. (See Romans 8:7.) The disciples at one time wanted to call down fire from heaven, and Jesus said to them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of” (Luke 9:55). The human spirit is not subject to the law of God.

The Holy Spirit came forth for one purpose: to reveal Jesus to us. Jesus “made Himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7), and He was obedient unto death (v. 8), that God should forever hold Him up as a token of submissive yieldedness. God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name. “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 5:5). With the clothing upon of the Spirit, human depravity is covered, and everything that is contrary to the mind of God is destroyed. God must have bodies for Himself, perfectly prepared by the Holy Spirit, for the Day of the Lord. “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven” (v. 2).

Was Paul speaking here about the coming of the Lord? No! Yet this condition of preparedness is highly relevant. The Holy Spirit is coming to take back a church and a perfect bride. The Holy Spirit must find in us perfect yieldedness, with every human desire subjected to Him. “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). He has come to reveal Christ in us, so that the glorious flow of the life of God may bring rivers of living water to the thirsty land within.

The Spirit has to breathe into us a new occupancy, a new order. The Holy Spirit came to give the vision of a life in which Jesus is perfected. It is Christ “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:9).

We who are saved have been called with a holy calling, called to be saints—to be pure, holy, and Godlike; to be sons with power. It is a long time now since it was settled and death was abolished. Death has no more power. This was made known through the Gospel, which brought in immortality. Mortality is a hindrance. Sin has no more dominion over you. You reign in Christ, and you make rightful use of His finished work. Don‘t groan and travail for a week. If you are in need, “only believe” (Mark 5:36). Don‘t fast to get some special thing, “only believe.” It is according to your faith that God blesses you with more faith. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). If you are free in God, believe! Believe, and it will be unto you even as you believe. (See Matthew 9:29.)

“Awake, you who sleep” (Ephesians 5:14); put on light, and open your eyes. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians. 3:1). Stir yourselves up, beloved! Where are you? I am risen with Christ, planted in Him. It was a beautiful planting. I am seated with Him. God gives me the credit, and I believe Him. Why should I doubt?

Dare to believe until the life of Jesus is implanted within your soul. “The righteous will hold to his way” (Job 17:9). God has reserved him who is godly for Himself (Psalm 4:3). Therefore, lift up your heads.

Thought for today: The Devil makes you remember the day you failed, though you would give the world to forget about it. But God has forgotten when He forgives.

December 26

Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! — Matthew 25:6

Scripture reading: Matthew 25:1–13

God fascinates me with His Word. I read and read, yet it is all something so new, remarkable, and blessed. I realize the truth of that saying, “The bride rejoices to hear the Bridegroom‘s voice.” (See John 3:29.) The Word is His voice, and as we get nearer to Jesus, we understand that He came to take out for Himself a people who would be His bride. It means not only to be saved, but also that there is an eternal destiny awaiting us in glory. God in His mercy has given us this blessed revelation of how He lived, loved, and had power to say to those disciples, “Some of you shall not see death until you see the kingdom of God coming in power.” (See Mark 9:1.)

Oh, that blessed Christ, who could pray until His countenance was changed and became so glorious, until His raiment became white and glistening. He said, “I have power to lay [My life] down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18). It is true that by wicked hands He was taken and crucified, but He had to be willing, for He had all power and could have called on legions of angels to deliver Him from death. But oh, that blessed Christ had purposed to save us and bring us into fellowship and oneness with Himself. He went right through death so that He might impart to us the blessed reconciliation between God and man.

So it is that the Man Jesus Christ, who is the Atonement for the whole world, who is the Son of God, is also the sinner‘s Friend. “He was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). This blessed Christ gave His disciples the glory that He had with the Father before the world was. (See John 17:5.) God wants us to know that He will withhold “no good thing…from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11), including health, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit, and a life in Christ Jesus.

Thought for today: We must be ready for our King.

December 25

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:23

Scripture reading: Matthew 1:18–25; Philippians 2:5–11

Being saved is a reality. There is a great deal of truth about having the peace of God. There is a great deal of knowledge in knowing that you are free, and there is a wonderful manifestation of power to keep you free. But I find Satan dethrones some of the loveliest people because he catches them at a time when they are unaware. I find these poor souls constantly being deceived by the power of Satan.

Hear this word: when Satan is the nearest, God is nearer with an abundant measure of His grace. When you feel almost defeated, He has a banner waving over you to cover you. He covers you with His grace; He covers you with His righteousness. It is the very nature of the Son of God.

It is impossible to remain in the natural body when you experience the life of God. When you are intoxicated with the Spirit, the Spirit life flows through the avenues of your mind and the keen perception of the heart with deep pulsations. You are filled with the passion of the grace of God until you are illuminated by the power of the new wine, the wine of the kingdom. This is rapture. No natural body will be able to stand this process. It will have to leave the body, but the body will be a preserver to it until the sons of God are marvelously manifested. Sonship is a position of rightful heirship. Sons have a right to the first claiming of the will.

I would like you to realize that redemption is so perfect that it causes you to stop judging yourself. You believe that God has a righteous judgment for you. Escape from the powers of the Devil. You can have an abundance of grace, righteousness, liberty for the soul, and transformation of the mind. You can be lifted out of your earthly place into God‘s power and authority.

Thought for today: Jesus left heaven though He had the right not to leave.

December 24

When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. — Romans 5:6

Scripture reading: Romans 5

Through one man‘s disobedience, through one man‘s sin, death came and reigned. Then Another came. Adam was the first man; Christ, the second. One was earthly; the other, heavenly. As sin and death reigned by one, so now the New Man, the Christ-man, will make us awake to righteousness, peace, and abounding in God. Just as death had its power through a man, life has to have its power and victory. Through the God-man, we come into a new divine order.

“I cannot understand this truth, Wigglesworth.” No, friend, you never will. It is a thousand times bigger than your mind. But Christ‘s mind replanted in your natural order will give you a vision so that you may see what you cannot understand. What you will never understand, God thoroughly understands. He blesses you abundantly.

You know how sin was abounding, how we were held, how we were defeated, how we groaned and travailed. Has sin abounded? Now grace, now life, now the ministry abounds to us.

Take a leap of faith so that you may never know what defeat is any more. Romans 5 is a real divine healing chapter; it is a real ascension chapter; it is a powerful resurrection chapter. It looses you from your limitations. It moves you from your former place into a place of coveted grace. It takes your weaknesses and sins and abounds to you with atonement. It reveals to you all that Adam ever had that bound you. It reveals all that Christ ever had or will have that abounds toward you to liberate you from all that is human and bring you into all that is divine. This is the glorious liberty of the Gospel of Christ:

And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. (Romans 5:16)

We have been condemned and lost. How human nature destroys! We all know sin had its reign, but there is justification. God works in the lower order with His mighty higher order. He touches human weaknesses with His touch of infinite, glorious resurrection power. He transforms you:

For if by the one man‟s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

How rich we are. The death-life has been replaced. Now there is a righteous life. You were in death and it was the death-life, but now you have received the righteous life. How much have you acquired of it? Have you received an “abundance of grace”? Your grace has run out years ago. My grace has been depleted years ago, but I realized by the revelation of the Spirit that His grace should take the place of my grace. His power should cover me where I cannot cover myself. He stands beside me when I am sure to go down. Where sin abounded, grace abounded, and His love abounded. He stretched out His hand in mercy; He never failed. He was there every time when I was sure to go down. Grace abounded. Oh, the mercy, the boundless mercy of the love of God to us!

I hope you are getting it, thriving in it, and triumphing in it. I hope you are coming to the place to see that you are a victor in it. God must give you these divine attributes of the Spirit so that you may come into like-mindedness with Him in this wonderful provision.

Thought for today: If there is an abundance of praise in your heart, your mouth cannot help speaking it.

December 23

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints…the love of Christ which passes knowledge. — Ephesians 3:17–19

Scripture reading: Romans 8

Are we children of circumstances or children of faith? In our humanity, we may be troubled by the blowing of the wind. As it blows, it whispers fearfulness; but if you are “rooted and grounded,” you can stand the tests, and it is only then that you “may be able to comprehend…what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18–19). It is an addition sum to meet every need, to display God‘s power, and to enlarge one‘s faith.

What does Paul mean by the width of Christ‘s love? It is recognizing that God is sufficient in every circumstance. The length of His love indicates that God is in everything. God is in the depths and the heights! God is always lifting you, and the truth in this verse is enough for anyone in any circumstance to triumph. He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think,” not according to the mind of Paul, but “according to the power that works in us” (v. 20). Simplicity of heart can broaden one‘s perspective, but this fullness is an ideal power of God in the human soul, enlarging every part. God is there instead of you to make you full, and you are full as your faith reaches out to be filled
with all the fullness of God.

The power of the Lord was present to heal. His fullness of power flowed out of the disciples to others. In Acts 1, we see the power of God revealed as Jesus was lifted up to where He was before—into the presence of God. Jesus Christ showed the power of God in human flesh. The fullness of the Godhead was bodily manifested in Jesus (Colossians 2:9). John said that “in Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). His substance revealed the fullness of God. How can it be fulfilled in you? The Scripture provides the answer: He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). It is filled there in the glory. But it‘s a tremendous thing. God will have to do something. Beloved, it is not according to your mind at all but according to the mind of God, according to the revelation of the Spirit. “Above all that we can ask or think.” The blood has been poured out.

Truly, we are not worthy, but He is worthy. He will do more than we can even ask. How can it be possible? God puts it in your heart. He can do it. We hear much about rates of interest, but if you will faithfully follow God, He will add, enlarge, and lift you all the time, adding compound interest. Five percent? No! A thousand percent, a million percent! If you are willing, if holiness is the purpose of your heart, it will be done, for God is in His place. Will you be in the plan “according to the power that works in [you]” (Ephesians 3:20)? Whatever you are at any time, it will be by His effective power, lifting, controlling, and carrying you in constant rest and peace; it is “according to the power that works in [you].” Let everyone say: “To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (v. 21).

Thought for today: Many people receive no blessing because they did not thank God for the last blessing.

December 22

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. — 2 Peter 1:3

Scripture reading: Matthew 21:33–44

Many people make wills and appoint someone to carry out their final requests. After the person dies, very often those people who have had property left to them never get it because of unfaithful stewards who have been left in charge. But there is one will that has been left, and He who made the whole will is our Lord Jesus Christ. After dying, He rose to carry out His own will. And now we may have all that has been left to us by Him: all the inheritance, all the blessings, all the power, all the life, and all the victory. All His promises are ours because He is risen. I believe the Lord wants us to know our inheritance.

Jesus invites you, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God is willing in His great mercy to touch you with His mighty power; if He is willing to do this, how much more eager He is to deliver you from the power of Satan and to make you a child of the King! How much more necessary it is for you to be healed of your soul sickness than of your bodily ailments!

Because He is risen as a faithful High Priest, He is here to help us understand His divine principles. May God provide us with a clear knowledge of what He means for us in these days. He has called us to great banquets and wants us to bring good appetites to His table.

It is a serious thing to come to a banquet of the Lord and not be able to eat anything. We must have very thirsty conditions and hungry souls. Then we can have what is prepared for us. We can be “strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). May the Lord take us into His treasures now.

Thought for today: We must experience a now power, a now blessing, a now God, a now heaven, a now glory, a now virtue.

December 21

Behold, I will do a new thing. — Isaiah 43:19

Scripture reading: Titus 3

Thank God for His Word. Live it. Be moved by it. We will become anemic and helpless without the Word. We are not any good for anything apart from the Word. It is everything. When the heavens and earth are melted away, then we will be as bright as the day because of the Word of God.

We know it is quick and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and thoughts of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). God‘s Word is like a sword piercing through. The Word is divinely appointed for us. Take it in; think it out; work it out. It is the truth.

When I was going to New Zealand and Australia, there were many there to see me off. An Indian doctor rode in the same car with me to the docks and boarded the same ship. He was very quiet and took in all the things that were said on the ship. I began to preach, of course, and the Lord began to work among the people. In the second class of the ship, there was a young man and his wife who were attendants for a lady and gentleman in the first class. And as these two young people heard me talking to them privately and otherwise, they were very much impressed. Then the lady they were attending got very sick. In her sickness and her loneliness, she could find no relief. They called in the doctor, and the doctor gave her no hope.

And then, when in this strange dilemma—she was a great Christian Scientist, a preacher of it, and had gone many places preaching it—they thought of me. Knowing the conditions, and what she lived for, knowing that it was late in the day, that in the condition of her mind she could only receive the simplest word, I said to her, “Now you are very sick, and I won‘t talk to you about anything except this: I will pray for you in the name of Jesus, and the moment I pray you will be healed.”

And the moment I prayed she was healed. That was “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1) in operation. Then she was disturbed. I showed her the terrible state she was in and pointed out to her all her folly and the fallacy of her position. I showed her that there was nothing in Christian Science, that it is a lie from the beginning and one of the last agencies of hell. At best it is a lie: preaching a lie
and producing a lie.

Then she came to her senses. She became so penitent and brokenhearted. But the thing that stirred her first was that she had to go preach the simple gospel of Christ where she had preached Christian Science. She asked me if she had to give up certain things. I won‘t mention the things; they are too vile. I said, “No, what you have to do is to see Jesus and take Jesus.” When she saw the Lord in His purity, the other things had to go. At the presence of Jesus, all else goes.

This opened the door. I had to preach to all on the boat. This gave me a great chance. As I preached, the power of God fell, conviction came, and sinners were saved. They followed me into my cabin one after another. God was working there. Then this Indian doctor came. He said, “What will I do? Your preaching has changed me, but I must have a foundation. Will you spend some time with me?”

“Of course I will.”

Then we went alone, and God broke the fallow ground. This Indian doctor was going right back home but as a new man. He had left a practice there. He told me of the great practice he had. He was going back to his practice to preach Jesus.

Thought for today: It is one thing to handle the Word of God; it is another thing to believe what God says.

December 20

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 12:4

Scripture reading: Romans 12:3–13

The variation among humanity is tremendous. Faces are different, so are physiques. Your whole body may be put together in such a way that one particular gift would not suit you at all, while it would suit another person.

So the Word of God deals here with varieties of gifts, meaning that these gifts perfectly meet the condition of each believer. That is God‘s plan. It may be that not one person would be led to claim all the gifts. Nevertheless, do not be afraid; the Scriptures are definite. Paul said that you do not need to come short in any gift (1 Corinthians 1:7). God has wonderful things for you beyond what you have ever known. The Holy Spirit is so full of prophetic operations of divine power that it is marvelous what may happen after the Holy Spirit comes.

How He loosed me! I am no good without the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit loosed my language. I was like my mother. She had no ability to speak. If she began to tell a story, she couldn‘t finish it. My father would say, “Mother, you will have to begin again.” I was like that. I couldn‘t tell a story. I was bound. I had plenty of thoughts, but no language. But oh, after the Holy Spirit came!

When He came, I had a great desire for gifts. So the Lord caused me to see that it is possible for every believer to live in such holy anointing, such divine communion, such pressed-down measure (Luke 6:38) by the power of the Spirit, that every gift can be his.

But is there not a vast and appalling unconcern about possessing the gifts? You may ask a score of believers, chosen at random from almost any church, “Do you have any of the gifts of the Spirit?” The answer from all will be, “No,” and it will be given in a tone and with a manner that conveys the thought that the believer is not surprised that he does not have the gifts, that he doesn‘t expect to have any of them, and that he does not expect to seek them. Isn‘t this terrible, when the living Word specifically exhorts us to “earnestly desire the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31)?

So in order that the gifts might be everything and in evidence, we have to see that we cease to live without His glory. He works with us, and we work with Him—cooperating, working together. This is divine. Surely this is God‘s plan.

God has brought you to the banquet, and He wants to send you away full. We are in a place where God wants to give us visions. We are in a place where, in His great love, He is bending over us with kisses. Oh, how lovely is the kiss of Jesus, the expression of His love!

Oh, come, let us seek Him for the best gifts, and let us strive to be wise and to rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15), giving it forth in power so that the church may be edified and sinners may be saved.

Thought for today: Look to the Holy Spirit to show you how to use the gifts so that you never use them without the power of the Spirit.

December 19

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. — Philippians 1:6

Scripture reading: Philippians 1

I have great love for my sons and my daughter, but it is nothing in comparison to God‘s love toward us. God‘s love wants us to walk up and down the earth as His Son did: clothed, filled, radiant, with fire beaming forth from our countenances, setting forth the power of the Spirit so that the people jump into liberty.

But there is deplorable ignorance among those who have gifts. It is not right for you to think that because you have a gift, you are to wave it before the people and try to get their minds upon that, because, if you do, you will be out of the will of God. Gifts and callings in the body of Christ may be irrevocable (Romans 11:29), but remember that God calls you to account for properly administering the gift in a spiritual way after you have received it. It is not given to adorn you, but to sustain, build, edify, and bless the church. When God ministers through a member of the body of Christ and the church receives this edification, then all the members will rejoice together. God moves upon us as His offspring, as His choice, and as the fruit of the earth. He wants us to be elegantly clothed in wonderful raiment, even as our Master is.

His workings upon us may be painful, but the wise saint will remember that among those whom God chastens, it is the one who is trained by that chastening to whom “it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Therefore, let Him do with you what seems good to Him, for He has His hand upon you; He will not willingly take it off until He has performed the thing He knows you need. So if He comes to sift you, be ready for the sifting. If He comes with chastisement, be ready for chastisement. If He comes with correction, be ready for correction. Whatever He wills, let Him do it, and He will bring you to the land of plenty. Oh, it is worth the world to be under the power of the Holy Spirit!

If He does not chasten you, if you sail placidly along without incident, without crosses, without persecutions, without trials, remember that “if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8). Therefore, “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Never forget that Jesus said this word: “They who hear My voice follow Me.” (See John 10:27.)

Thought for today: Jesus wants you to have a clear ring to your testimony.

December 18

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. — 1 Corinthians 14:12

Scripture reading: Luke 8:4–18

This Scripture is the Word of God, and it is most important that when we read the Word, we do so with hearts that have purposed to obey its every precept. We have no right to open the Word of God carelessly or indifferently. I have no right to come to you with any message unless it is absolutely in the perfect order of God. I believe we are in order to consider further a subject that we greatly need to be informed about in these days. So many people are receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but then they do not know which way to go.

We have a great need today. It is that we may be supplied with revelation according to the mind of the Lord, that we may be instructed by the mind of the Spirit, that we may be able to rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15), and that we may not be novices, considering the fact that the Spirit of the Lord has come to us in revelation. We ought to be alert to every touch of divine, spiritual illumination.

We should carefully consider what the apostle Paul said to us: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The sealing of the Spirit is very remarkable, and I pray to God that not one of you may lose the divine inheritance that God has chosen for you, which is greater than you could choose if your mind had ten times its normal faculties. God‘s mind is greater than yours. His thoughts are higher than the heavens over you (Isaiah 55:9), so that you do not need to be afraid.

Thought for today: When the Word is in your heart, it will preserve you from desiring sin.