How to walk in obedience in the unknowns of life

How can we walk in obedience when we don’t know how it’s all going to work out?

Obedience is defined as, willingly submitting to God’s authority and commands.

Whether we fully understand or not, we willingly submit our lives before our good and faithful King. Trusting He has our best interest in mind.

What is God calling us to? Is it success? Achievements? Or is it something much harder? Much more beautiful and sacred?

Faithful obedience.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 We are told to not lean on our own understanding, but that in all our ways we are to acknowledge God, and that it is He who will make our paths straight. (paraphrased).

What are we chasing after?

I was after success, visible results. I never knew how much I loved results until I joined a fair trade company. That year with the company was one of the most fun years of my adult life. It was hard work but it was also beautiful.

Inviting women to open up their homes, to help me create a global marketplace for our partners in third world countries was so beautiful. Knowing I was making such a tremendous impact in the lives of so many people, while getting to wear their gorgeous handmade pieces, was such motivation to run full speed ahead.

That year I paid our mortgage for an entire year with my earnings.

There was tangible evidence, but evidence does not mean Gods blessing.

Even provision doesn’t mean that God is pleased.

I was running full speed, with no regard to how my family was truly doing.

At the end of that year, at the beginning of 2020, God told me it was time to step down. At the height of my “success” God said, walk away.

There is something so kind about Fathers love and His mercy.

If we will submit our lives unto The Lord He will not allow us to burn ourselves up.

He saw where I was heading, chasing after success, even if it was for an incredible cause.

Ranked at the top percent of that beautiful company. Given the Sunshine Award by my community.

Walk away.

My family was suffering, because Mama filled her weekends to the max that I might see the results with my own two eyes.

I still think of this time fondly and also am incredibly thankful for Gods mercy in calling me out. Nothing was wasted.

I want you to know that it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make along the way, Father can help us, bring us back on course.

If our desire is to honor Him He will draw us to Himself and bring clarity when our vision has become blurry.

yessi argabright

The year that reset us all, March 2020.

Everyone will remember March 2020, the year the world shut down. Just weeks before The Lord said “step down”.

I obeyed not knowing what life would look like. Just a couple short weeks later we would receive the news we had conceived our 4th baby!!!

Noonday Collection would completely go online for a time.

Years later this beautiful company still stands, and people have opened their homes again. I made incredible life long friends I still keep in touch with.

Including a couple of our artisan partners, beautiful women of God. I would love for you to consider supporting them when you’re wanting to invest in a company that is truly pouring into vulnerable communities.

Giving thanks opens the door for Gods blessings

I exhale a prayer of thanksgiving as I think back on Gods faithfulness and goodness to our family.

God knew.

He knew what was about to happen and He didn’t want me to be caught off guard. He wanted my obedience and He had it.

This is what He desires from all of us. Our obedience. Not because we know exactly how it’s going to turn out, but because we know Him and trust Him.

Walking in obedience, by faith alone.

How many times are we called to walk in obedience? To trust.

So often it feels like blind faith and sister, it wouldn’t be faith if we could see it. If we could behold in our hands the hope that we are reaching for.

Remember that our faith will look like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who have received the gift of Christ, He is our eternal life!

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

“…Without faith it is impossible to please God. For those who would draw near to God must first believe that He exists and that He greatly rewards those who diligently seek Him…” Hebrews 11:6

Diligently seek Him.

Father is calling us to Himself sister. Each and every single day. The giants we are up against they threaten and mock.

How many times have you found yourself against impossible odds, and how many times did God see you through?

If you would like to read more about these giants God has slain in my life, you can find that post here. May it bring you hope and courage as God fights the ones in your life.

If you are in a season of challenge and struggle, I want to lean in and whisper He has got you and He will not let go.

The Israelites were given this promise, there is a land flowing with milk and honey and it is yours. All they had to do was take possession of it.

The Lord had already seen them through. He had defeated their giants. Pharaoh. He had drowned their oppressors with the very same water they saw stacked high above them, while they walked on dry ground.

Can you even imagine?

He had already provided. But how quickly they had turned their eyes back onto themselves and their circumstance. How often do we do this sister?

Even as I write. I still feel the compassion of Jesus. His understanding of us, as humans. Being our high Priest. His love for us is so great and how He longs that we would believe.

Sister, I hate roller coasters, but back before I had the courage to say “I don’t want to ride them, nor do I need to prove my worth”, I would ride them. If you can imagine my face pressed into the seat as far as I could force my body into it. I was terrified.

And this is often how I see us, holding onto God, tightly pressed up against His chest. Believing with all of us that He will see us through! That His promises are true.

Years ago, a dear friend of mine shared with me that a group I was a part of had some false things going on.

While Father had brought us out and broken up the group, I tenderly smiled at my friend and said, “you know, I will not deny that there were some things that were done that were out of order, but I can never deny what God has done in me, and in the lives of some of the precious women that were in the group with me.”

While one of my other dear friends was praying for God to bring me out, He showed her clearly, “I have her”. And He did indeed.

My head was buried so deep into His Word. Testing and searching everything that was spoken and said.

Sister, no matter where you find yourself today, I cannot encourage you enough to keep reading your bible. It is our life line.

As humans we can make mistakes and sometimes, even be led astray, but if we stay rooted in Gods Word, we will not stay astray, no matter how hard the enemy works to derail us.

My living hope

Tonight as I searched my phone for pictures to share, I landed on one of my darlings whom I love with my whole heart. This precious child has had an incredibly difficult year.

Their joy is evident. And most would not know the hardships this child is walking through, but those of us who love this child find ourselves on a daily wrestling with how to lead, how to help.

As I looked intently at these sweet pictures I began to weep. Tears of fear. Tears of gratitude. Tears of uncertainty. And Father catches each and every single one.

We don’t know how our stories are going to play out. We don’t know the obstacles that will present themselves.

But I keep coming back to this place, God knows.

He knows. He gave us these children. We have been entrusted into His care. He will not leave us.

When my dearest friend Dana was still living, I would shoot her an sos text, please pray. Each time, she would remind me of what I already knew to be true, The Lord is at work. Keep pouring out love. Keep blessing. Keep. Do not curse your children and Rest. It is going to be okay.

We need people like this in our lives. People whom we can shoot a text to who will gently bring us back to the feet of Jesus. My beautiful friend has been with King Jesus for a little over two months and it still doesn’t seem real. I miss her so very much.

Just the other day I laughed out loud as I looked for the kitchen tool she bought for the kids when I had just had our fourth. She said, “Your children are going to learn to cook more this year, this will help them to be more safe.”

Before she told me what the tool was and said the above I took it out of the bag and thought it was a poop scoop. We had a good laugh.

And this week when I went to drain the broccoli into the sink I laughed again and wanted to tell her, just how much she meant to me. I know she knew.

She was grafted into our family much like God grafts us into His family, into His story.

Sister, I am so confident in Gods ability to hold us together that I truly believe no matter what we have to walk through it truly will turn out for our good in the end.

Know that I am praying for you this week, as you face the giants in your own life. See yourself standing behind your Abba daddy.

He loves us so much. So often He is calling us to simply be still.

Sister, do not underestimate your quiet obedience. He is at work. Drawing us in.

Let’s trust Him together, even when it’s hard and we feel unsure. The more we walk with Him, the more we will be able to let go of our fears and rest in who He is.

Katie Torwalt’s song, Gold has been playing in my heart this week, enjoy. May it fill your heart with hope and joy as it has mine and please consider subscribing to our blog.

It means so much that you are here. Thank you!