And God took the man, and put him into the garden to dress and to keep it.

That sounds sort of like a farmer to me.  

We look at that as our very beginning.

How about the beginning of our nation??

There were many farmers then too.

Farmers till the soil, plant seeds, cultivate and weed out what is not to be grown, water, and wait ...for more growth and harvest.

A. W. Tozer said some more things on this subject: 

"One marked difference between the faith of our fathers as conceived by the fathers ...and the same faith as understood and lived by their children; is that the fathers were concerned with the root of the matter, while their present-day descendents seem concerned mostly with the fruit. Our fathers were willing to wait with patience for the fruit to appear (knowing they had a good root and good ground), while today we expect the fruit immediately (sometimes before the seed even touches the ground, or gets a chance to become rooted).  Today we may explain away the beliefs of days since gone by, and smile off that old serious-minded approach to God by labeling them victims of their own limited religious outlook, finding security in their own narrow and self-righteous perspectives. Find comfort if you may, that in every generation the number of these seem to become smaller.  But, I count it wise if you are among the dwindling number.  Was it not said that wide is the way to destruction, but narrow is the way to life ...irregardless as to whether others perceive it as mere narrow-mindedness."

Yes, there used to be a lot of focus on planting, cultivation, and growth.  Today, we market ideas, package substandard products in fancy wrapping, and with unsubstantiated claims along with unproven quality.

I know that we can be called the everyman ...and without anyone being guilty of slander. Even as disciples ...one day we may be a doubting Thomas, and the next day we may feel we are walking with Jesus and suddenly take our eyes off Him, and begin to sink or peter out.

We struggle, and fall way short of what we may image we could do, or should do. But, God understands our struggle. He knows what we are going through.  It was difficult for me to imagine what Jesus said about more than a few: "And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you ..."

Clearly, Jesus does know us ...so, what does that mean??

Well, the Bible says time and again, that a man knew his wife and she conceived ...though, obviously that was, yet this is not a sexual statement, but rather a relationship one.  Yet, the knowing is also in this situation between two, and the truth of their commitment is also known as well ...and with understanding, the mind can conceive of much more.

God knows us ...but do we merely acknowledge Him, or do we desire to also increase our knowing of Him??

Jesus is the Way, but we are not sucked in like a vacuum ...we choose to walk with Him.   We need to know that He loves us (the truth) & wants us to walk with Him (the life)...though, clearly, how do we get to know Him without walking with Him??

(And as Pastor says, we can feel we are walking through all those historical moments by reading about them ...in the Bible.)