Beyond the Boundaries

Devotional

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”” Mark 9:21-25

Yesterday, I began talking about having a scriptural foundation for our faith. Your faith cannot survive the test of time if it is based on anything else.

In our text this morning, a father brought his son to Jesus. The boy had been suffering from a spirit since childhood that caused violent seizures and put his life in danger. Even the disciples had tried to cast out the spirit, but they could not. Desperate for help, the father turned to Jesus. He said to Jesus, “I believe; please help my unbelief.” This is an honest confession many of us could make because, in many ways, our unbelief is shaped by what we believe. Our unbelief often hides behind our certainties.

Think about your own life for a moment. What beliefs have shaped the way you see God, others, and yourself? When we hold a certain set of beliefs; whether religious, philosophical, scientific, cultural, or political; those beliefs create boundaries. What fits inside the boundaries is accepted; what lies outside is often dismissed, ignored, actively disbelieved, or even ridiculed.

In verse 22 of our text, the father said, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” His words reveal the tension between hope and doubt; certainty and unbelief. If you believe that only scientific evidence can establish the truth, you will disbelieve in things that cannot yet be verified. If you believe someone is untrustworthy, you will struggle to accept their words even when they are true. If we believe that pain means God is absent, it will be hard to see His hand in suffering. Sometimes, our unbelief is simply the shadow cast by the beliefs we hold most tightly. Sometimes, it isn’t rebellion at all; it is the by-product of our perspective.

Do you observe that Jesus could have answered, “I can.” Instead, He said to the man, “‘If you can?’ … Everything is possible for one who believes.” Faith is God inviting us to trust beyond what our minds can fully understand. It is stepping beyond our certainties and letting Him show that His power is greater than our perspective.

On another occasion, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” Luke 17:5-6. Have you wondered why the passage was addressing unforgiveness, the statement of faith was brought in. It was to illustrate a broader principle: if you believe people cannot change, you will struggle to trust someone who says they have repented. Our beliefs shape how we respond to God’s power and to His work in others.

Here is a practical step: pause for a moment and identify one belief in your life that limits your trust in God: something that makes you hesitate to rely fully on Him. Consciously hand it over to Him in prayer, asking Him to expand your faith and help you see beyond the boundaries of your understanding.

Faith does not require that we understand everything. The scripture does not explain how God does what He does, but it teaches us to know Him and to trust that He will do what He says. When we bring our doubts honestly to Jesus, we open the door for God’s power to work in ways that exceed our imagination.

Lord you know the doubts I carry, the fears that limit my trust, and the boundaries I place on your power. Forgive me for trying to rely on my own understanding and the things I think I know. Today, I choose to hand over my doubts, my uncertainties, and my limiting beliefs to you. Expand my faith, Lord, and help me trust beyond what I can see, understand, or explain. Teach me to know you more deeply and to rely fully on your promises. In Jesus’ name. Amen