Glory be to God! I just finished reading the last chapter of the book of Revelation, meaning I am done reading the New Testament for this year (2025). Reading the New Testament has been a tough journey for me, because it was my first time reading the entire New Testament. But first of all, how did this journey even start? 

Back in my days at Senior High School, Mr. Kwame Asomaning would always punish me for not reading my Bible. He will always ask me about my progress with my Bible reading anytime he sees me. So I always had it in my mind that I needed to read my Bible, so I began to read it. But little did I know that it was becoming a part of me, to the extent that even after I left the four walls of Keta Senior High School, reading the Bible has become part of my life.

Reading the New Testament has been very impactful. I have learned so many things, and one interesting thing I discovered is that God has a way of explaining His Word in such a way that it is relevant in every situation I am going through. I have learned so much. I have learned how to love the godly way, how to be genuinely happy for others. Not only that, but how to rejoice with others while they are rejoicing and to mourn with others, which is so important for me. I’ve learned how to tolerate people, even when I am disrespected by them, and how to deal with people and not retaliate negatively. As a result, nowadays, anytime I’m angry and I feel like retaliating, the Holy Spirit will just whisper this message to my heart, “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”. 

My reading of the New Testament has taught me tolerance, how to control my anger, and humility. I struggled with pride when I did something and realized I was not right. How to go back and apologize was so difficult for me, but the Holy Spirit has taught me humility. He has taught me how to be hardworking and clean. I used to feel so comfortable in a dirty environment, but not anymore. I cannot go and put my bowl or plate in the kitchen sink after eating without washing it. It’s so amazing! I am seeing a great transformation in me.

The Bible has taught me how to be hardworking, and one other thing I’ve learned from reading the New Testament is that God is so concerned about us. Most times, people see God to be a fearful person, but the Bible has taught me how to see God as my loving father. The Bible has taught me how to see God as someone who cares about me, even the smallest thing concerning me. I’m so happy I have embarked on this reading journey. I’m so revived and feel so alive right now, and I’m so glad I read through the New Testament of the Bible. 

However, reading the Bible was not easy at all. I faced different challenges. I started taking Bible reading seriously in the latter days of my stay in SHS because I found it difficult to combine preparing for WASSCE with Bible reading. I thank God so much that the Holy Spirit was always there to remind me to read my Bible. There were challenges in this journey: When I picked up my Bible to read, I started feeling sleepy at times. Other times, I did not even remember what I read, where I ended my reading, or even the lessons in that chapter. And other times, it was so difficult to be consistent. Catching up with the reading plan anytime I missed it was quite difficult. But I’m so excited right now and high, not because I’ve taken in any substance, but I’m just so high because the word of God is so powerful. I don’t know how to express my joy. 

I cannot end without saying a very big thank you to the Holy Spirit for being my guide, always reminding me to read my Bible.  Jesus Christ once told his disciples that he was going to the Father and would send the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, who is going to remind us, and truly, the Holy Spirit was my teacher. As I kept reading the Bible, it got to a point where if I don’t read the Bible for a day, I feel like something is missing, and I won’t feel comfortable until I have read my Bible. 

God bless Mr. Asomaning so much for always punishing and encouraging me, for the impromptu calls to lead Bible studies. We didn’t know that he was helping us until we left his territory, and then we realized that he was training us. I pray that God replenishes everything Mr. Asomaning lost in my upbringing.

 To everybody who reads this story, I want to tell you the word of God is very powerful, as Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active. It is sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates the mind and spirits, dividing souls and bodies. The word of God is even able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  I wish anyone reading this story the best in their journey through their Bible reading.