Abiding in God - Active Faith Produces Lasting Actions
Women in Black History
If You Abide in Me – A Call to Let Justice Roll
In John 15:4-5, Jesus invites us to abide in Him as the true vine, promising that as we remain connected to Him, we will bear much fruit. Abiding in God is not a passive state of simply securing our ticket to heaven; it is an active partnership, resting in His promises while courageously stepping into the work He calls us to do.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Fannie Lou Hamer, a fierce civil rights leader, knew this truth deeply. Her abiding relationship with God gave her the strength to endure beatings, imprisonment, and relentless opposition. She famously said, "Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily?" Yet, even in the face of such adversity, she never wavered in her faith or commitment to justice.
Hamer’s life reminds us that abiding in God’s presence produces fruit—not just for ourselves but for others. She lived John 15:7: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." She asked for freedom, justice, and dignity for her oppressed sisters and brothers, and her life bore the fruit of her prayers.
Today, we are called to abide in God as Hamer did. Abiding doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to injustice while waiting for heaven. It means standing in the gap for the oppressed, trusting in God’s power to move mountains, and being intentional about letting His justice roll like a mighty river (Amos 5:24).
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Powerful Testimony
Let’s ask God to free those who are being targeted and oppressed. Let’s pray for courage to act, wisdom to speak, and strength to persevere. Let us abide in Him so deeply that our lives, like Hamer’s, overflow with the fruit of justice, mercy, and hope.
Fannie Lou Hamer Documentary
This Black History Month, let Fannie Lou Hamer’s story inspire us to abide more fully and act more boldly. Abiding in God’s presence is not just a personal act of devotion—it’s a call to be vessels of His justice in a world that desperately needs it.
