Before composing, Beethoven was known to tip cold water over his head and pour water on himself to the point it would drip through the ceiling below! Whether that was to awaken his senses and creativity, keep him disciplined or for some other reason, I don’t know, but anyone who’s completed the ‘ice bucket’ challenge or plunged themselves into a skip full of ice water on a Tough Mudder event will know it’s quite a shock to the body. There is no way you do that and stay sleeping. Immerse yourself in ice water and everything within you is going to wake up!

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. 1 Peter 5:8 MSG

All too often we coast through life and the monotonous humdrum of the mundane makes us drowsy. We start to drift away from safe intimacy with Jesus and become complacent in our pursuit of relationship with Him. All of a sudden a situation will stop us in our tracks and leave us gasping for air wondering what in the world is compressing our lungs with such intensity.

In these times we can wonder where God is, or why He allowed such a stark shock to the system. In reality, He’s poured ice water over us to wake us up. He knows the very real danger of the one “poised to pounce”. I for one know that when “hard times” arrive, they send me straight back to the throne room to “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV)

Jesus knows better than anyone the devil’s tricks and schemes to tear us away from the Father and away from others. Don’t give the devil a chance to devour you today.

The remedy? Keep your guard up by praying continuously.

Stay alert, stay close.