Finding Your Way Through Uncertainty: Three Signposts for the Journey

Have you ever been completely lost? Not just turned-around-in-a-parking-lot lost, but genuinely, deeply disoriented—where familiar landmarks disappear and panic starts to creep in at the edges of your thoughts?

There's something uniquely unsettling about losing your way. Whether it's wandering off a hiking trail into unfamiliar territory or facing unexpected changes in life's direction, the feeling is remarkably similar: a growing sense that you've somehow veered off course, and you're not entirely sure how to get back.

Life has a way of throwing us into these moments of profound uncertainty. A career shift we didn't plan for. A relationship that ends unexpectedly. A church in transition. A global pandemic that reshapes everything we thought we knew. Financial instability. Health concerns. The list goes on.

In these moments, we face a critical choice: Will we allow fear to drive us toward hasty, self-protective decisions? Or will we slow down long enough to find our bearings and reconnect with the path God has set before us?

When Fear Takes the Wheel
The story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 13 offers us a sobering picture of what happens when uncertainty overwhelms us. Saul had just become king of Israel, and he was preparing to lead his people into battle against the Philistines. According to custom, the prophet Samuel was supposed to arrive and offer sacrifices to seek God's favor before the battle began.
Saul waited seven days—exactly as Samuel had instructed. But Samuel didn't show up on schedule. Meanwhile, Saul's soldiers began deserting. The enemy was gathering strength. Everything was falling apart.

So Saul took matters into his own hands. He offered the sacrifice himself—something he had absolutely no authority to do. This wasn't his calling. He was the king, not the priest. But in his fear and desperation, he convinced himself it was necessary.

When Samuel finally arrived and confronted him, Saul's response was textbook rationalization: "When I saw that the people were scattering from me and that you did not come within the days appointed and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering."

Notice the progression: fear led to justification, which led to disobedience, which ultimately revealed a heart that wasn't aligned with God's.

Samuel's response was devastating: "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God."

Signpost #1: What Are We Afraid Of?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: we are experts at justifying our behavior, especially when we're scared. We convince ourselves that our circumstances are exceptional, that the rules don't quite apply to our unique situation, that we have to take control because God isn't moving fast enough.

But the first step away from God almost always begins with fear overcoming faith.
This is why the first critical question we must ask ourselves in times of uncertainty is simply this: What are we afraid of?

Not what are we going to do about it. Not how are we going to fix it. Just: what are we actually afraid of?

For Saul, the answer was clear. He was afraid of losing—losing his army, losing the battle, losing his kingdom, losing his life. He was existentially terrified that God wouldn't come through for him because everything he could see with his eyes was falling apart.
What about you? What makes you anxious when you think about the uncertain areas of your life? Where is there a disconnect between where you thought God was taking you and where you actually are?

Exploring these questions isn't about wallowing in fear. It's about awareness. When we can honestly identify what we're afraid of, we're less likely to be controlled by it. We can bring those fears into the light, examine them, and ultimately surrender them to God rather than letting them drive us toward disobedience.

Signpost #2: What Does Obedience Look Like?
When fear takes over, we become masters of justification. We color outside the lines "just this once." We compromise our values because the situation seems to demand it. We take shortcuts because we convince ourselves the ends justify the means.

But here's the liberating truth: obedience is not always practical, but it always leads to intimacy with God.

The second signpost question is: What does obedience look like for me right now?
Notice this isn't asking, "How do I solve this problem?" or "How do I get to the end of the trail?" It's simply asking about the next step of obedience. Just the next one.

For Saul, the next step of obedience was painfully simple: wait. Just wait for Samuel. Don't take matters into your own hands. Don't try to do God's job. Just wait.

And isn't that often the hardest form of obedience? We'd rather do something—anything—than simply wait on God.

Sometimes obedience looks like action: serving, giving generously, speaking truth in love. But just as often, obedience looks like slowing down, stopping our striving, spending time in God's Word, and listening in prayer.

Obedience doesn't always end with more money, status, power, or security. But it always brings us closer to the Father. We don't obey so God will accept us. We obey because He already has, and obedience draws us into deeper intimacy with Him.

Signpost #3: What Are We Called To?
The final question brings everything into focus: What are we called to?

Saul's fundamental problem wasn't just that he was afraid or that he disobeyed. It was that he tried to fulfill a role that wasn't his. He wasn't called to be the priest. That was Samuel's job, given by God with specific purpose and sanctification.

When we try to do things we're not called to do, disobedience typically follows close behind. Self-righteousness, divisiveness, arrogance, pride—all tend to show up when we step outside our calling.

We are not called to be God. (Though in our minds, it would certainly be more convenient if we were.)

So what are we called to? Jesus made it beautifully simple: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

And just to make sure we don't miss the point, Jesus clarified that our "neighbor" is specifically the person we find hardest to love—the one we'd rather not have as a neighbor at all.

This is our calling: to worship God and love people. To be known as followers of Christ who reflect His grace, patience, and sacrificial love.

When we anchor ourselves in this identity—as beloved children of God, forgiven and made new through Christ—we find clarity even in the fog of uncertainty.

The Path Forward
Life's uncertainties will continue to come. Circumstances will shift. Plans will fall apart. People will disappoint us. We'll face transitions we didn't choose and futures we can't predict.

But we don't have to wander lost in the wilderness of fear and confusion.

Instead, we can return to these signposts again and again:
What are we afraid of? Bring those fears into the light rather than letting them control you from the shadows.

What does obedience look like? Take the next step of obedience, even if it's simply to wait, to pray, to trust.

What are we called to? Remember your identity as God's beloved child, called to love Him and love others.

These aren't magic formulas that instantly resolve every uncertainty. But they are faithful guides that keep us connected to the God who loves us, the Savior who redeemed us, and the Spirit who leads us.

In the midst of your uncertainty today, you're not alone. You're not forgotten. And you haven't wandered beyond the reach of God's grace. The path back to intimacy with Him is always available, marked clearly by the signposts of His truth.

The question is simply: Will we slow down long enough to see them?