Welcome, my friend. It's time for today's Our Daily Bread Devotional.

The writer for today is John Blaze, and the reading is titled The Voice of the Father.

My friend's father died recently. When he got sick, his condition deteriorated quickly, and in a matter of days, he was gone.

My friend and his dad always had a strong relationship, but there were still so many questions to be asked,

answers to be sought, and conversations to be had. So many unsaid things,

and now his father is gone. My friend is a trained counselor. He knows the ups and downs of grief

and how to help others navigate those troubled waters. Still, he told me, some days I just need to hear

dad's voice, that reassurance of his love. It always meant the world to me. A pivotal event at the

beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry was his baptism at the hands of John. Although John tried to resist, Jesus insisted that

moment was necessary, so he might identify with humankind, saying in Matthew, chapter 3,

let it be so now. It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.

John did, as Jesus asked, and then something happened that proclaimed Jesus' identity to John the Baptist and the crowd, and it must have also deeply touched Jesus' heart.

The father's voice reassured his son by saying,

This is my son, whom I love.

That same voice in our hearts reassures believers of his great love for us.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew,

Chapter 3, verses 13 through 17.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?

Jesus replied, let it be so now. It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.

Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.

At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the spirit of God

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