JOSH'S WAKE UP CALL

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Josh’s Wake-Up Call

Josh was a vibrant teenager, always dressed in the brightest Ankara outfits, exuding confidence and charm. He was the life of the youth group at church, quick with a joke and always scrolling through Instagram for the latest trends. But when it came to spiritual matters, Josh had a different approach. Despite hearing countless sermons on **Joshua 1:8**—“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (ESV)—Josh remained unmoved. 

“I don’t need to cram scriptures,” he’d say, rolling his eyes during Bible study. “Google’s got my back. I can search any verse faster than you can say ‘Amen.’ Why fill my head when I’ve got a search engine?” His friends laughed, but his youth pastor, Sister Grace, warned, “Josh, the Word of God isn’t just data—it’s life. You need it in your heart, not just your phone.”

One night, after a long day of scrolling through Instagram reels, Josh fell into a deep sleep. In his dream, he was lounging in a dimly lit hall, his phone glowing as he watched a funny video. Suddenly, the air grew cold, and the screen flickered. A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness—a demon with glowing red eyes and a menacing grin. Fear gripped Josh’s heart like a vice. The demon’s laugh echoed, chilling and wicked, as it glided closer.

Instinctively, Josh tried to rebuke it. “The Bible says… uh… something about resisting the devil!” he stammered, fumbling for the right scripture. James 4:7 popped into his mind—“Resist the devil, and he will flee”—but he couldn’t recall it accurately. The demon cackled louder, its voice mocking, “Is that the best you’ve got, boy? Where’s your Google now?”

Panicked, Josh grabbed his phone to search for the verse. His fingers trembled as he typed, but the screen froze with a dreaded message: **“No Network Connection.” He refreshed desperately, but the signal bars were empty. The demon was now inches away, its claws gleaming. Josh’s heart raced as he tried one last time to load the page. A faint signal appeared, but the loading icon spun endlessly. “Out of data!” he gasped, realizing his phone plan had run dry. Before he could look up, the demon’s cold hand struck him with a stinging slap across his face.

Josh jolted awake, drenched in sweat, his cheek burning as if the slap had been real. He rushed to the mirror and gasped—a faint red mark marred his face, a chilling reminder of the dream. Shaken, he grabbed his dusty Bible from the shelf, his hands trembling as he flipped to **Joshua 1:8**. For the first time, the words sank in: meditating on God’s Word wasn’t just about reading—it was about letting it live in his heart, ready for any battle.

The next morning, Josh showed up early to church, his Ankara shirt vibrant but his demeanor humble. He shared his dream with the youth group, his voice cracking as he admitted, “I thought Google was enough, but when the enemy came, my phone failed me. I didn’t have the Word in me to fight back. I’m done relying on search engines—I’m starting to memorize and meditate on scripture.”

Sister Grace smiled and added, “Josh’s story reminds us that God’s Word is our sword (Ephesians 6:17). Technology can fail, but the Word in your heart is always accessible. Like Ankara fabric, it’s woven into your life, giving you strength and identity to face any challenge.”

~ Ojo Ikponmwonsa Sunday