Faith in God leads to obedience to His commands. God has revealed Himself to us so that we turn to Him in faith and love Him, and then through that faith and love, obey Him. But our obedience is short-circuited immediately when our faith erodes. Faithlessness hinders love, which in turn blocks obedience. This was what the Israelites experienced.

After the Israelites’ rebellion, when God pronounced judgment on them, He first declared how patient He had been with His people. He then threatened to do away with them completely. But Moses interceded on behalf of the people, appealing to the glory and promises of God.

Each day, we encounter people who have not trusted in Jesus for salvation. They, too, stand under the righteous judgment of a patient God (2 Peter 3:9). God invites us to join Him on His mission of making His presence known. We do this by proclaiming the Gospel, and by praying earnestly for those who don’t know Him, that they might repent of their sin, turn to Jesus, and experience life.

• Whom will you pray for who doesn’t know Jesus? How will you tell that person about Jesus this week?