Look, Hear and Pay Attention

Ezekiel 40:4
⁴ The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see."


// THOUGHTS:

..  It's interesting to see that there was a purpose as to why Ezekiel was brought there - as part of the exile.
.. What does this tell us about GOD?  That there is a purpose to everything.  That He will work out everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8).  That regardless of what situation there is, God can bring out the purpose of things IF we are willing to look, hear, and pay attention. 
.. Ezekiel was given a vision.  Not only a vision but a purposed vision where he has to LOOK, HEAR, and PAY ATTENTION to because this what's going to tell him the purpose of why he was there.
.. What follows after the passage are series of specifics of what he (Ezekiel) had seen.

_As Believers:
.. There are things in life that may seem unpleasant (parallels to Ezekiel being in exile)
.. Then God may give us a vision or anything that will provide us information of it's purpose
.. Just like Ezekiel, it is often times in every situation, we have to be looking hearing, and paying attention to the details of we are seeing (whether a vision or merely the situation we are placed in) in order for us to find out WHY these things are happening and WHAT PURPOSE there is for us to be there at a certain time and certain situation.

_Ponder:
.. Are we just passively participating in the situations we are in?  Or are we looking, hearing, and paying attention to what's going on around us so we may find out why God has allowed seemingly unpleasant experiences (or not) happen in our lives; or to what purpose why things are happening this way?

// BELLE:

.. I need to look more with my eyes
.. I need to hear more with my ears
.. I need to pay more attention to everything

.. What does this mean specifically in my life?  With the situations I am in, (family, ministry, and personal life) I must look more carefully, hear closely, and pay attention even more to my surroundings that I may gauge to see what purpose is there for me to tell everyone about? 
.. God will give me instructions (like Ezekiel in a vision) and that's what we need to look more, hear more, and pay closer attention to so I may start to put the puzzle together and find out what purpose there is to the sphere of my involvement in life situations. 
.. It is ultimately all for the Glory of God that I have to do these things.  God wants me to be more attentive to what's going on around me that I may do what I am purposed to do - whether on a bigger scale of life or just the purpose of why I am in this particular situation.


//  LORD, may I have the strength to be keen in looking, hearing, and pay close attention to Your instructions in my life so people may see Your glory that is at work within me to do Your will and follow through your instructions in my life.  I don't know exactly what You mean by this, but I will just do what I know so far with the best that I can.  All for Your glory, I will follow you all day, everyday! In Jesus' name, amen.