In this sermon, the preacher talks about how God provides for his people in miraculous ways. He shares a story of a Jewish lady who hadn't bought new clothes in 40 years, and God assured her that her clothes wouldn't wear out. The preacher emphasizes that God knows our needs and will provide for us, just as he did for the Israelites in the wilderness. He encourages the congregation to trust in God's provision and have faith that he will make a way even in seemingly impossible situations.

I get edges to pierce their feet. So our Lord said, before you go, I want you to soothe your feet with oil, and I want you to put on shoes of brass and iron in order that you might make it over the rocky places. I was sitting here a while ago, looking at these kids, looking at all the people in this great crowd of people, and I was realizing, realizing that many of you, many of you will die this year. Which ones? I do not know. Many people in this room will be dead this time next year. Always happens. I could just call off name after name of the people who were in the service one year ago this morning, but they're gone. I don't know who it'll be for the vineyard. I don't know if the Lord says to you this year what he said to Hanani in the Bible, this year thou shalt die. I don't know. I do not know whether God is speaking those words to me or not. This year thou shalt die. I do not know. But Mrs. Sillade, we wouldn't have thought your husband would have gone at premature age in 1972. I do not know. But some of you will die this year. I do not know what 1973 holds for you. There will be some people in this room this morning who will have a shortness of breath and a pain down the left arm and a gasping and a sharp pain through the left side. And you will call the doctor or the ambulance and be rushed to the hospital. And some of us in this room this morning will lie in St. Margaret's Hospital or another hospital in intensive care this year with that little jaggered graph being made of our hearts. Some of you, some of us this year will go through that experience. I do not know what 1973 holds for you. I do not know. But some of us this year will sit in a little cemetery, a little funeral home, a chapel, or in the chapel over here or in this auditorium here. And someone whom we love like we love our own lives will be, the body will be in a casket. Some of you, many of us in this room this year will pick out a casket and will sit beside the casket of one whom we love as friends come to comfort us. I don't know who it is. I don't know which one of you will lose your mother or father this year. I don't know which one of you will lose a little baby this year. Somebody in this room this year will go to the hospital to have a baby and the word will come the baby was born dead. Someone in this room this year will have serious surgery. Someone in this room this year will have burdens unspeakable. I do not know who, but I know somebody will. Somebody in this room will die. Some lady in this room this morning, I do not know which one or which ones, but some ladies in this room this morning will be widows this year. It's sort of sad when I look out over your faces and realize that some of you will not be here next year. It's sort of sad when I look out over your faces. I did a while ago realize that many of you will have to say goodbye to your husbands or wives this year. Many of you will sit beside a mother's casket or a father's casket this year. Many of you will go to the doctor for tests and you'll have a pain and you'll wonder is it malignant or not. Many of you will wake up after surgery and shake your head to realize that you're supposed to hear some news from the doctor and some of you in this room this year will hear the doctor say it's malignant. This year, this year people in this room will hear that awful, awful announcement. You have cancer or you'll see your loved ones whispering behind your back and you will try to keep it from them that you know they're trying to keep it from you this year, this year. If somebody says I do not know what the future holds but I do know who holds the future and this much I do know. If you're a Christian, if you're saved, if you're one of God's own, this I know. I know first that he knows what rocky places you'll cross this year. He knows. David loved to call God our high tower. Out at O'Hare Field when I come in and out every week. In fact, I just finished the only week in 1973 that I won't be flying somewhere to another state preaching. I did not go anywhere this week. I wish I had have flown somewhere Thursday before the Orster party but I've just completed the only year I'll not be traveling in 1973. My schedule is filled all the way through the year and into 74. I do not know what the future holds but I know that as at O'Hare Field and all airports there's a high tower. There's someone up in the tower who watches everything that's going on, who has the radar radar screen before them and they guide all the traffic. Now when there's a mix-up there's a crash. Recently at O'Hare Field, in fact I have I was coming from somewhere out out east and we came in to land O'Hare Field and the pilot came on intercom and he said, I'm sorry but we cannot land at O'Hare Field because of the fog. We'll have to go back to Louisville, Kentucky. We turned to fly to Louisville, Kentucky. Then he said, we have found we can land in Milwaukee. So we turned around and came back to Milwaukee and I couldn't get a plane back to Chicago and I had to get back for Wednesday night service until I rented a car. Drove the car back to Hammond and so forth. But I passed by O'Hare Field and I said to myself, I'm sure no plane can land there. But one plane did try to land or take off. There was a plane that Delta Airline plane that landed from Florida and it was waiting for a gate as is often the case. And it was supposed to go out to a little special place in the runway and the man in the tower, somebody made a mistake. The tower did not give the right instruction of somebody. And there was a plane in the runway that shouldn't have been there and a plane taking off. And as you know, this North Central plane hit this Delta plane, the tail section of the Delta plane and numbers of folks were killed. Why? Because the high tower made a mistake. But there is one who sits in our high tower. David calls him our high tower. He watches every life in the whole of all of his children. He knows, as I've said so often in the broadcast, he knows your name. He knows your phone number. He knows your house address. He knows every problem, every pain, every burden, every sorrow, every decision that you face. In fact, the Bible says every hair on your head is numbered. That's no serious problem for many of us. But every hair is numbered and he watches all that goes on. Now I do not know what's going to happen to you this year, but I do know he knows what's going to happen to you this year. Now hold it. The tribe of Asher did not know they had rocky places to walk. The tribe of Asher did not realize they had some steep hills to climb and jagged places to travel. They did not know it. But he who made the tribe did know it. And I'm sure when he said, okay, Asher, come dip your feet in oil. Well, why should we dip our feet in oil? And that fellow doesn't have to dip his feet in oil, and Dan doesn't have to dip his feet in oil, and Gad doesn't have to dip his feet in oil, and why do we have to dip our feet in oil? I'll tell you why. Because the one in the high tower knows something you don't know, Asher. He knows about some rocky places for which you've got to pass. He knows about that straight jagged place that you've got to pass, and he knows you need shoes of iron. He knows you need some ointment on your feet. He knows your feet have to have oil, need some oil and shoes of iron and brass, because he who sits in the high tower sees the rocky place down there. I do not know what that rocky place is going to be for me this year. I do not know if it will be me who is on a plane that crashes, or me who feels a pain in the chest, or me who has a death. I do not know, I do not know what burdens and what rocky places I have to travel, but thanks be to God, he who's in the high tower knows and he makes provisions for the rocky place over which I have to travel this year, if I trust him and if I follow him. And so God prepares his people for the rough places. Now how did God prepare his people? How did God prepare Asher? Asher does not know what's before him, but God knows what's before him. Now how did, how did God prepare Asher for the rocky places over which he must travel? The first place he said, come dip your feet in oil. Dip your feet in oil. Now just as far as the, the basic truth here and the surface truth, oil was, is a medicine. It has medicinal advantages and purposes. But as far as the typology is concerned here, the oil in the Bible is a symbol of God's Holy Spirit. He of the Godhead who indwells every single person. God knows your rocky place this year. God knows that financial burden. He knows if you're going to lose your job. He knows if you're going to have a serious illness. He knows if your house is going to burn. He knows if you're going to have a car wreck. He knows if your husband's going to die. He knows if your baby will be born dead. He knows if you have to suffer a cancer this year. God knows that. And God says, whatever you go through this year, I'll give you my Holy Spirit and he'll comfort you. I am, I've told twice this story this week. I think it's so beautiful. I've never heard it before. Read it somewhere this week. An old Scottish preacher was dying and as he lay dying, somebody came up and he was trembling and the color was leaving his face and his fingers were turning colorless and so forth. And the old Scottish preacher was about to die and somebody walked up and said, do you know that you're near death? And the old Scottish preacher said, it don't make no difference. It don't, it is it to those of us who are healed of it. It don't make no difference. And they said, why? He said, because if I live, Christ is with me. If I die, I am with Christ. I can't lose either way. Do you know the moment that you receive Christ as your personal savior, somebody came to live with you and that person will never leave you as long as you live in this world and the next world. If I live, Christ lives with me, Christ with me, Christ in me. If I die, I go to be with him. So if, if I live, he comes to play at my house and if I die, I go to play at his house. Either way, his presence is there. A little girl that, uh, uh, that said to her mother recently that I've, I've told about so often said to her mother, when the television announcer came on and said, we interrupt this broadcast to, uh, announce that we are under a tornado warning. A tornado has been sighted, uh, near, uh, you know, a certain, certain town and a line 13 miles Southeast from the Northwest corner of the East, Southeast section of the Southwest, uh, 40 miles wide and 62 miles long. Let's send it from a line going all the way from Alaska down to the tip of Florida, uh, there, and nobody can figure it out. Nobody can figure it out. And I always want to say, you fool, is that monster? That's all I want to know. And the little girl heard that announcement and she got so upset and she ran to her mother and she said, mother, she said, is brother Hyles in town? And the mother said, I don't know. Well, she said, would you call and find out for the house in town? And the mother said, why? She said, because I've just heard on the television that we are, have a tornado warning. And she said, if brother Hiles is in town, a tornado wouldn't dare come through Hammond. It wouldn't dare. Now I'm not sure that, uh, I can stop tornadoes. And sometimes I think maybe I can, but, uh, I'm not sure. Uh, but, uh, the little girl said, uh, if brother Hiles is in town. Now it doesn't matter a great deal that I'm in town or not, but what she was thinking is if he's here, everything's going to be all right. I don't know what 1973 holds for you, but I know if he's here, everything's going to be all right. Down in Texas, we used to have awful storms. Anybody ever grow, grow, he grew up, remember, a northern come in, they call them northerns, where you came from, a northern come in. And boy, you grew up in the panhandle, didn't you? And they said, there's nothing between the panhandle of Texas and the North Pole, but a barbed wire fence. And, uh, and boy, you can't see it clouds too much here. A cloud gets way up before you can see it. But in Texas, a mesquite tree is called a tall tree. A mesquite bush is called a tall tree. I mean, a chrysanthemum is a tree down there. We said, uh, the tallest thing we had is cactus. And, up here, for example, you dumb Yankees, you don't know where to plant trees. You just plant trees anywhere and everywhere. Down in Texas, anybody that knows you plant a tree along either side of a creek. That's the only place the trees are supposed to grow. And you fly over up here, you see trees everywhere. You fly over Texas, and what do you see? You see trees that are winding like a snake. You know why? Because trees grow beside creeks. But you folks have no idea, no concept of, of botany and of, uh, of, uh, of, uh, whatever else you call it, tree growing. And, uh, you don't know. But, um, not many trees. I was in Texas a week ago, and you can see for miles and miles. Fort Worth is 33 miles from Dallas. I left the Fort Worth city limits, and when I passed the city limits, I could see the Dallas skyline. Thirty-three miles away. Think about that. And, uh, so, uh, uh, but, uh, a big, big storm would come up, and we had a storm cellar. Did you ever have a storm cellar out in west Texas? Storm cellar. And that's a big hole in the ground, the mound up on top of the hole, and a door that opened up on top, and you go down the storm cellar while the storm comes. And somebody help the fellow have a seat back in the back, please. Everyone be seated, please. And, uh, so, a storm comes up, and, but you could see the storm. And many times, many times, Mother would say to me, let's go to Miss Jones' house. Who was Miss Jones? Mrs. Jones was a lady who lived a few houses from us, who was about 75 years of age, and who was in bad health, and she could hardly walk. But we wanted to be at Miss Jones' house. Why? Because we wanted to be with somebody. And did you know, time and time and time again, a storm would come up, and oh, it looked so bad, it looked so terrible, and I'd say, I wish Mother were here. Why? What could Mother do? Nothing, except crawl into the same bed I was under, and, uh, nothing at all, except if Mother were here. Now, you know, I don't much, I don't know what's going to happen to me this year. I don't know what 1973 holds for me. I don't know what rocky, uh, ridges I have to travel. I don't know what jagged edges my feet will have to touch, but I do know, I do know that He'll be there. Good night. How can you lose if He's there? I recall when Becky was a little girl, she had, uh, I said, Becky, want to go to the grocery store? And she did like, did like, and rejoiced. But she got older, and I asked if she wanted to go to the hotel there with Daddy on a trip, and she said, no, I don't want to go. I said, why? She said, I want to stay with Tim. Why did you want to stay with Tim? She'd rather be in Waxahachie with Tim than in Paris with me. Now she hasn't, but she, before they got married, she had. And, uh, but, uh, but anyway, uh, why? Because she wanted to be with Tim. Well, where? It doesn't matter as long as He's there. Well, but Becky, I'll take you out to eat to, uh, uh, Jester's for a steak, or to San Remo. She'd rather go to McDonald's with Tim than to go to Jester's with me. Now personally, I like me as much as I like Tim. In fact, some better. But, but she wanted to be with Tim. I don't know what's going to happen this year, but I know He's going to be there. What else would it matter? Who wrote, This happened to me, where'er I may be, if He is there. And so 1973 may hold for you cancer, or it may hold a piercing of the pain in the heart, or it may hold for you death, or it may hold for you the fear of home, or it may hold for you a loved one who's passed away, but thanks be to God, He'll be there all year long. He'll be there. But there's something else He's, that He's going to do. He knows the jagged edges, and He'll provide just the type shoes you need for the journey. He'll go down and say, Okay, now, a vineyard's got some, some, He's got, I know what burdens you have this year, broken down buses and broken down axles and, and so forth. But, uh, in fact, three straight nights I've been waked up in the middle of the night because a broken down bus is sitting out on a certain street near my house. And, and I didn't tell him to call to the vineyard, because I'm such a nice fellow and so forth. But I know what it has, but I don't know what it holds for me. I'm not sure, but I know one thing, I know He knows, and I know He'll give me the kind of shoes. And so the Lord said, Asher, you've got to cross some jagged edges. You've got to cross some rough places. You've got some stony ground to cross, some rocky places to cross. I want you to have the iron shoes and the shoes of brass. God's always been that way. Here, here's a, here are two and a half million Jews going from Egypt to the promised land. And so they, they leave the land of Egypt and they, and they go down to the promised land and they come to the Red Sea. Well, what in the world are they going to do? God knew they had to come to the Red Sea. What did God do? God sent an angel. He smote the waters of the Red Sea and told Moses to smite with his rod and the Red Sea parted. But, okay, now they're across the Red Sea and the Egyptians have drowned and now they're on the way to the promised land, but they've got to eat. How in the world can two and a half million people eat on a trip? Well, God thought about that a long time before they left. And so the next morning they woke up and they saw manna all over the ground God had provided for every need. But they're going to have to have some water to drink. How in the world? Where did you get the water? And God said, there's a rock out there in Horeb. Moses, I want you to smite it once and then start speaking to it. And every time you speak to it, water will come out. But Lord, we don't have any, we, we, we're traveling and, and how are we going to keep cool? The hot, scorching, scorching, uh, uh, sunshine. How are we going to keep cool? And the Lord said, I'm going to give you a pillar of cloud by day to keep you cool in the daytime. I know, but boy, the nights are cold. How are we going to keep warm at night? And the Lord said, okay, I'll make that pillar of cloud at day, a pillar of fire by night and keep you warm. But Lord, 40 years, where are we going to do our shopping? You won't need to shop. Oh, that'd be a wonderful year, wouldn't it, Phyllis? You won't need to shop. Well, Lord, uh, uh, one lady said, she was a Jewish lady and she said, Lord, uh, how about the, uh, about the clothes, about new dress sometime in the 40 years, no new dress for 40 years. And the Lord said, I'll just see that one doesn't wear out 40 years. Boy, I'd like to find one like that. Wouldn't you? Well, how about, how about some new shoes? I've got to have some new shoes, some Germans or some other kind of, I won't take care of that. Lord, I'll take care of that, that your shoes won't wear out 40 years. Well, good night. They got it made, haven't they? Come to a Red Sea, water just parts. Get hungry. Look up and it's raining. Food. Get thirsty. Just hit the rock over there. Water will come out. Get cold. Lord sends down a furnace from heaven. Get hot. He sends down an air conditioner from heaven. Need some shoes. He just half sold the ones you got. I can recall when I was a kid, I'd get any kind of old shoes and slash, get a razor blade and slash, slash over each toe. And I can recall time and time again, when we got, uh, uh, my shoes wore out and you could see my foot like, like little boy said, you know, said, that's a strange patch you got in the seat of your breeches. He said, that ain't no patch, Phil, that's me. And, uh, I, uh, I, I'd have, and I'd get the, I'd get a, oh, a cardboard. Anybody remember getting cardboard? Listen, we didn't throw away a box at our house. In fact, we went down store hunting for boxes and, uh, we'd cut the cardboard the same size, the same shape as the shoe and pick the cardboard. I see some familiar faces here this morning and to put the cardboard in the shoe. And then mother'd say, son, she said, when you get to any place where it's a little wet, walk on your heel. And I'd walk on my heel. Why? Because the cardboard would get wet if I walked on the wet spot. But dear Lord said, I've got shoes for you to wear. I don't know what your burden is going to be this year, but I know he that's in the high place, he that's in the high place, looks down and sees all that's going to happen in 1973. And he says, if you need oil, I'll give you oil. If you need shoes, I'll give you shoes. If you need iron shoes, I'll give you iron shoes. If you need brass shoes, I'll give you brass shoes. I'm going to provide for all. I was thinking how God has provided for us. Somebody wrote the song, Newton wrote the song, through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. His grace has led us safe thus far and grace will lead us home. I don't know what the future holds in 1973 for First Baptist Church. Somebody said, you're going to have 10,000 in Sunday school this year. We may have 150. I don't know. It may be this is the year of martyrdom. It may be this is the year of persecution. I don't know. But I know whatever it is, I know that he'll be there and he'll provide for every need. How do you know? Because he has. Think back through these years. Think back through these years. Just about 13 years ago today. I'm sorry. Yes, 13 years ago today. Just about it. I got a phone call in the afternoon and the voice said, you won't be in Hammond another month. And I said, why? And they said, we've had enough of you, rebel. You'll be gone in a month. We've had all we can have of your southern accent. We've had all we want of you, rebel. Now either you get out or we'll see to it you get out. And we started a battle, a real battle. But the dear Lord looked down and said, I better give Jackson brass shoes. See, somebody said, yeah, you're pretty brassy. I know it. I got, the Lord provided brass shoes for me and iron shoes and the dear Holy Spirit and his wonderful presence was there. By the way, I stayed past those 30 days and now it's been 13 years and I'm still hollering and screaming. You know why? Because the Lord takes care of his own. And if you've got some rocky places, he'll take care of you. I was thinking this morning, the places we've been together through these years, last night, I was thinking they had a little get together for Paul Wright and Betty Wright. They've been married 25 years and they had a little party out there to congratulate them and celebrate, out at the Conservatory of Music. And I had some appointments and I left them here and ran out to the place and we had a wedding ceremony. I didn't get paid a dime for it. Not one dime for the wedding ceremony. And we remarried them. They reaffirmed their vows after 25 years. And I was thinking as I drove back to the church, all the things that just the rights. I thought about the night, late at night, when the phone call came and said, Arnie Brown and Arnie Brown and Paul Wright had been in a car accident. I went over to St. Catherine's Hospital and stayed there the wee hours of the morning. I thought Paul Wright was going to die and Arnie Brown thought Arnie Brown was going to die. And I thought of all the things we've been through. I thought how Becky used to go with, I think I saw, Kenny, didn't I see Kenny up there? Yeah, Kenny used to go with Becky. And Becky wasn't allowed to go in the car alone with a boy. And I know Paul Wright hated me because every time his boy went on a date with Becky, Paul had to drive them. In fact, Paul went steady with Becky for several years. And I thought about all of those things. Now at the church, we've been through an awful lot together. We've been through financial reversals. We've had to raise a lot of money. We stood out one morning and saw two-thirds of a million dollars in buildings destroyed. Our studies went over to a building that used to be over here and set it on fire, went over to the building that was where the education building is now and set it on fire, and we watched the building burn. And a half a century of memories went up in smoke just like that. And we cried. We've been through an awful lot as a church in these years. But every time we've come to a jagged place, the dear Lord has said, now let me soften it, hold it, come here, stick your feet in the oil. I want to get you ready. I want to give you some shoes of iron and shoes of brass to wear. And I want to get you ready. Did your mom ever say to you, button up your coat. It's going to be cold outside. You have your overshoes on. Don't overshoes down in Texas. And put your overshoes on. We didn't afford overshoes, so I wore old socks over my shoes. I'd wear daddy's old socks over my shoes out in the snow. It snowed about once every millennium. And my mom would say, son, pull your coat up and button your collar and put your hat on. We used to have what were called toboggan caps. And she said, put it down over your ears. It always messed my hair up back when I had hair. And I didn't want to do it. I had a little, instead of wearing long hair back in those days, we wore what they call a, what's the little thing at the top? Not a crew cut. Pompadour. Remember the pompadours? You folks who's young, you don't know a thing. And my mama would say, cover up your hair. I'd go, mama, I want the pompadour to stay up there. The pompadour didn't stay up there, I'll tell you for sure. My pompadour's done pooped and, and, and, but I, mama would say, cover yourself up, you got to go out in the weather. And the dear Lord says, okay, you got a rough year ahead of you. You got some rocky places. The Lord says, but I'm going to be with you and I'm going to help you. And so the tribe of Asher had a rocky place to stay. Oh, listen, I've been saved now for, oh my, 36, 35 years. And I've been preaching for 27 years. Sometimes, sometimes I've been on the top of a mountain and the sun was bright and shiny and everything was wonderful. He's always been there. Sometimes it's been a dark walk through a valley when I couldn't see a bit, but he's always there. The other day I was flying, the other day I was flying into O'Hare Field and sat down, sat down beside a little lady and she was about, oh, 75, I guess. And her hair was real white and she was, she was holding on to her safety belt, the safety belt, the next year you have a little, the end, she's holding on to the end of the safety belt. That time we started to take off and I said, you got to hold on tight because if we go down, you're going to need that thing. And she said, oh, shut up. And I said, I said, I tell you what, just don't put your whole weight down. And just, just don't put your whole weight down. And I said, and she began to laugh. And she said, mister, she said, this is my second flight. And she said, I am scared to death. So I, I reached out and held her hand. I hold hands with all the ladies on the airplane and, uh, that are over 75. And, uh, I patted her hand like that. And I said, now mama, I fly every week on these planes. She said, that doesn't help one bit. And I said, I look, I said, I've been on planes more this, this year than I've been in a car, long I've been in cars. And she said, well, I've been in cars the most. And I said, now mama, there's nothing to worry about. She said, why? She said, she said, the pilot can't see a hundred feet. She said, look out that window. You can't see anything. And I said, you better thank God you can't see anything going this fast. Because if we could see something, we'd be in trouble. And, and she said, she said, well, yeah. How does he know where he's going? And I said, I'll tell you how he knows where he's going. Because out yonder at the destination, there's a tower and there's a man who sits in that tower and he's in constant touch with the pilot of this plane. And he sees us. He has a chart there and he sees where we are and he traces us. As we fly across the sky, he sees us on that chart. And I said, it's his job to guide us safely to our landing. And I said, are you saved? Are you a Christian? And she said, no. I said, don't you think this is a pretty good time to become a Christian? She said, well, you said it was real safe. I said, it may not be as safe as I said it was. And I told her about Jesus. And I said, here it is. I said, lady, you're, you're up in years now, your hair is gray and your face is wrinkled and your brows furrowed, your back is stooped. But I said, out yonder at the end of life, there's one who sits in a high tower and it's his job to guide you safely home. Do you know him this morning? Have you trusted him? Is he your savior? Ah, blessed be God. It's still true. All things work together for good to those who love God. Why? Because he sees where we're going and prepares us for what's ahead. Let us pray. Our heavenly father, in a very sweet and personal way, would you sit down beside every person here this morning? Would you give us courage for the year, strength for today? Our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed. Have you got any rivers that seem to be uncrossable? Do you have any tunnels or mountains you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things that seem impossible. He knows a thousand ways to make a way for you. My Lord knows the way through the wilderness. Asher, and all I have to do is follow. Strength for today is mine all the way and all that I need for tomorrow. My Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do is follow. All our heads are bowed. This year, if you breathe your last breath, he'll be there. This year, if you sit beside the body of a loved one in the cemetery in a funeral home, he'll be there. This year, if you walk away from the silent city of the dead and leave half of your life, or most of it, beneath the sod, he'll be there. He'll be there this morning as you face the year. Live it for Christ. Live it for Christ. Love him. Serve him. Trust him. Gain strength through the fact that he knows about the rocky places and dips our feet in oil and gives us shoes of iron and brass before the journey has ever begun.