One of the greatest challenges we face in life is the feeling of 'not knowing'. We are limited in our ability to know the future, and this sense of uncertainty can be a source of fear, worry and anxiety. When we journey through uncharted routes, we often don't get answers upfront. We have one of two options: either go back to the familiar or push forward into the unknown.

In Genesis 12:1-9, God called Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father's household to go to a land known to God but unknown to Abram. Think about what God was asking, leave everything familiar; your culture, language, extended family, security and go where? To a land "I will show you."

Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abram left as the Lord told him, with no record of debate or questioning. This is remarkable compared to other major characters God called. Moses doubted his ability, Gideon tested God with the fleece, Jeremiah complained he was too young, and Jonah ran away.

What was the difference? I believe it was the quality of Abram's trust. Navigating the unknown takes absolute trust in something or someone to keep moving forward when you do not know what lies ahead. Abram's trust didn't mean he had all the answers; it meant he trusted the One who had the answers. He didn't know the route, but he knew the Guide.

This is our first principle: it's not about having certainty about the circumstances; it's about having certainty about the character of God.

In Ruth 1, we find Naomi, a widow who had lost her husband and both sons in Moab, deciding to return to Bethlehem. She urged her daughters-in-law to return to their mothers' homes. Orpah did, but Ruth made a different choice.

Ruth's declaration in Ruth 1:16-17 is one of Scripture's most beautiful commitments. Understand however, what she was actually committing to: leaving everything she had ever known; her homeland, family, culture, gods, prospects of remarriage. To go to a land where she would be a foreigner with no status or guarantee of acceptance. She was tying her future to a bitter, broken, elderly widow who had nothing to offer but grief and uncertainty.

Why would anyone make such a choice? Because Ruth had seen something in Naomi, something in Naomi's God, that was worth more than security. She wanted that faith, that God, more than she wanted the certainty of staying in familiar territory.

Here's our second principle: navigating the unknown often requires us to prioritise relationship over comfort, conviction over convenience. The unknown that looked threatening became Ruth's pathway to blessing. She became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.

In John 21, Jesus' disciples faced overwhelming uncertainty after His crucifixion. Peter said, "I am going out to fish." Sometimes when we face the unknown, we reach for what we know, but this takes us back rather than ahead.

They fished all night and caught nothing. Even the familiar wasn't working. Then Jesus stood on the shore and told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. They caught so many fish they couldn't haul in the net.

Here's our third principle: God meets us in our uncertainty. The unknown isn't empty; it's where we often encounter God most powerfully. The disciples thought they were alone, but Jesus was already there, ready to restore them and commission them for the work ahead.

God is not intimidated by our unknowns. He specialises in them. All through Scripture, God does His greatest work in impossible situations and uncertain times.

You don't need to see the whole path to take the next step. Abraham didn't see Canaan from Ur, but he took the first step. Ruth didn't see Boaz when she left Moab, but she went with Naomi anyway. The disciples didn't understand the resurrection, but they stayed close to Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." He'll make them straight, directing and guiding you even when you can't see where you're going.

The same God who called Abraham, who protected Ruth, who met the disciples on the shore—that same God is with you. He has not brought you this far to abandon you now. Take the next step. Trust His character more than your circumstances. And watch as the God of the unknown transforms your uncertainty into a testimony of His faithfulness.