Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

Today's reading titled Knowing the Father was written by Con Campbell.

According to legend, British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham once saw a distinguished-looking woman in a hotel

foyer. Believing he knew her, but unable to remember her name, he paused to talk with her.

As the two chatted, he vaguely recollected that she had a brother. Hoping for a clue, he asked

how her brother was doing and whether he was still working at the same

job.

Oh, he's very well, she said, and still king.

A case of mistaken identity can be embarrassing, as it was for Sir Beecham, but at other times

it may be more serious, as it was for Jesus' disciple Philip.

The disciple knew Christ, of course,

but he hadn't fully appreciated who he was. He wanted Jesus to show them the Father,

and Jesus responded in John 14, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

As God's unique Son, Christ reveals the Father so perfectly that to know one is to know

the other. If we ever wonder what God is like in his character, personality, or concern for others,

we only need to look at Jesus to find out. Christ's character, kindness, love, and mercy reveal God's character.

And although our amazing, awesome God is beyond our complete comprehension and understanding,

we have a tremendous gift in what he's revealed of himself in Jesus. Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from the book of John, chapter 14, verses 8 through 11.

Philip said, Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered,

Don't you know me, Philip? Even after I have been among you such a long time?

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Don't you

believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you,

...