🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, Kathy shares what it looked like to follow a quiet leading from God—one that didn’t make sense on paper, but brought peace on the other side of obedience. She opens up about wrestling with pressure, fear, and the urge to keep striving in her own strength. Through one simple step of surrender, everything began to shift. Not all at once, but one step at a time—with clarity following obedience, not the other way around. This isn’t a story of having it all figured out. It’s a reflection on letting go of control, listening for God’s voice, and learning to walk by faith, even when the next step isn’t fully visible.
đź“– In this episode:
Letting go of fear-led decisions and survival-mode pressure
Following quiet direction, even when it doesn’t make sense
Why clarity often comes after we obey, not before
The peace that follows simple obedience
What Psalm 119:105 teaches about being led step by step
Encouragement to trust God without needing the whole plan
đź“ś Scripture Mentioned:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
— Psalm 119:105
đź’¬ Final Thought:
If you’ve been feeling unsure, pressured, or stretched thin, this is your reminder:
God isn’t rushing you—He’s leading you.
You don’t need the whole plan. You just need the next yes.
Hi, my name is Kathy Roberts, and this is the What Does God Say to You podcast.
Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something that made absolutely no sense on paper? Like, close something down that you’ve worked hard to build—even though every piece of worldly advice says the opposite?
That’s where I’ve been.
I had been living in a constant state of pressure—making business decisions based on survival. Holding up platforms and strategies I didn’t even like but felt forced to maintain. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in the work—I did.
But I was trying to make it work in a way that didn’t align with how I believed it should be done. I had a sense in my spirit of what was right, but I ignored it—because all the “experts” and business gurus were saying it wouldn’t work that way. They had a system, a strategy, a formula… and I let their voices speak louder than mine.
I stopped trusting my gut. The same gut I used to listen to so clearly when I was fearless in my 20s and saw success over and over because of it. (Lots of lessons to be learned from those experiences… that's for another podcast.)
And then God made it clear: This is not your lane anymore.
Honestly, He planted that seed several years ago, but I jumped the gun. I put plans in place without direction from Him and wondered why it fell flat. I think it was exhaustion—both in body and spirit—that led me back to that instruction, because it came again. Only this time, I waited on the Lord as to what to do.
Now, I don’t know what this might look like for you. Chances are it’s not shutting down a business. Maybe it’s walking away from a relationship, or releasing a commitment you made out of fear instead of faith. But I do know this:
Every step of obedience breaks fear’s grip.
And every time we say yes to God—even when we’re scared—He meets us right there. And then He gives us the next step. And with that step? Peace. Even if it comes mixed with a rollercoaster of emotion in the flesh.
When I made the shift in my mind to obey—when I was fully convinced and committed to His prompt to shut it down—everything shifted. Peace settled on me. Then came direction. Things I couldn’t see before—answers, options, solutions—suddenly became clear. But let me be clear: only one step at a time came to me. It was obedience to that one step that fueled the next. I realized all the answers had been there all along, but they were hidden—or I just couldn’t see them—until I said yes.
I didn’t expect peace, to be honest. I expected relief, because fighting against what you know you’re supposed to do is exhausting. Ignoring those prompts makes everything harder—even the things that shouldn’t have been. Peace did come, though. Relief was nice, but peace is so much better.
I had been praying and asking for direction. God gave me dreams. I looked up the meanings—what the symbolismsrepresented. I paid attention. I moved with what I felt He was showing me. And one step at a time, He made things clear.
I am to be a ministry.
The actions:
I was to purchase my site’s URL as a .org.
I needed to look up what it takes to become a nonprofit.
I did those things. And that’s when I saw: I didn’t have to shut down my business—but I was to shut down the platform it was built on. I was to do it differently than I had been. And when I saw that—when I understood it—I felt so much peace.
And then He gave me the next step. This verse is a perfect example and a validation of this principle:
Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
When it’s dark out and there’s no electricity, no street lights—nothing to light your path—one lantern held in your hand shows you the next step. You take it, and then you see the next one. That’s what we’re called to do: allow Him to be the lamp to our feet in the darkness that life can sometimes be.
This is available to all of us. We’re told to walk by faith and not by sight. And over and over again in Scripture, God required action before the promise showed up.
I believe the work I’ve done in What Does God Say to You—the seeds planted 30 years ago—it’s the calling. The main work. And Tidy Tutor? That’s still part of it. It’s a ministry too. I’m sure of it. But I’m no longer operating from fear. I’m moving in faith. One obedient step at a time. And with each step, I still feel unsure. But every time I obey, I feel peace. And direction.
If we were moved by emotion, we’d never move. Faith isn’t emotion—it’s trust in action.
So today, maybe you’re in that place. And if not now, you probably will be at some point. I have yet to see anyone who wasn’t. That moment where God nudges you to do something that feels scary, or illogical, or uncertain. I can tell you this: surrender is the answer.
One thing I know for sure—if fear is driving your decision, it’s not from God.
It’s funny—and I don’t think it’s a coincidence—that just this morning, a few minutes ago, I had a text conversation with a friend. She shared how God prompted her to speak to a stranger. She didn’t want to, but she obeyed. It turns out the woman had cancer, and my friend was able to minister to her—and both of them were blessed.
I told her, “I love your experience yesterday.”
It reminded me of one I had years ago… where I didn’t obey. That memory comes back often. And every time, I pray for that person, the one I still see in my mind. But I can’t go back and be obedient.
Disobedience is a bitter pill. Obeying and being wrong never brings sorrow.
So if you’re standing at the edge of a decision today—trust Him. Ask Him. Be still and listen for the answer. Be patient. And then obey the first step He gives you. It often isn’t easy—but on the other side of that yes is deliverance, growth, freedom, and peace.
Thanks for being here with me. I pray that you’ll be bold enough to listen for His voice. Be still. Ask Him for more—there’s always more. And be brave enough to say yes when He speaks.