Robert Myers

From an outward appearance, I might have passed for one who was saved, because I went to the Apostolic Faith church and Sunday school from my earliest infancy. In fact, my first recollections are of going to church. Sometimes my parents made me go against my will, but that didn’t stop the seed of truth from being planted in my heart.

I learned it took more than going to church to get to Heaven, and I began to feel condemned for the life I was living. I knew right from wrong, but did not have the backbone to stand up for what was right. I grew up among older boys who always seemed to know more about things than I did. I did not have the willpower to tell them no, so I would go along with them, although God would speak to my heart about it.

Smoking tobacco was one thing that allured me. I remember we boys had a little pipe we kept hidden under a wall in the backyard. If we didn’t have any tobacco, we would take Mother’s coffee and smoke that. It seemed we were determined to always be doing something wrong.

I can remember lying to my mother. I also stole money out of her purse. One time, I walked into a Woolworth’s store and I saw a piece of ordinary friction tape on the counter. I reached out, took it, and put it in my pocket. I don’t know why I wanted it; I didn’t have any use for it.  

I had just got out on the sidewalk, in front of the store, when God spoke to me. He reminded me that I wanted to be a Christian someday, and then I would have to make right all the wrongs I had done. I took courage and went back into the store and put the tape on the counter where it belonged.

When I was a teenager, special meetings were being held. Some of the altar services were lasting until eleven or twelve at night. It was during this time that God put his finger on my heart.

One evening, I was sitting in the front row watching the altar service, and I was hungry to pray. I wanted to be saved more than anything in the world. My mother saw me and asked if I wanted to go to the altar. That encouragement was just what I needed. I went and knelt in front of the pulpit and told God I was sorry for the wrongs I had done. I said I wanted to live a better life. God rolled the sin away and gave me a witness that I was a child of the King. It was instantaneous, and I knew when it happened.

It wasn’t church attendance or going to Sunday school that made me a Christian; it was God putting a change down in my heart. That was a good many years ago. Now I have boys older than I was when I received salvation. God is still real in my life every day. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t ask Him to help me through the day, and He does. He is a Friend in time of need.

One New Year’s Eve, I was in the choir and we were about to sing. As I stood up, it seemed like I was going to faint in my tracks. I was sweating, I was chilled, and I needed to sit down before I fell. It seemed pretty serious. I managed to get off the platform and to the backroom where the ministers came and prayed for me. I don’t know what was wrong, but I know the Lord healed me.

Another time, I injured my left hand. It seemed it was so bad I could hardly bend my fingers, and it got worse. I didn’t think I could play my violin. My wife said I should have it x-rayed to see if it was broken. It did seem that bad, but it came to me that the Bible says, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray” (James 5:13). As I thought on this verse, my hand got better. A few days later, I realized I was hardly aware of any soreness or pain in it. God had healed me.

I thank God for His many blessings.