“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24–25
On August 25, 2025, a towering haboob—a wall of dust thousands of feet high—swept through Phoenix, Arizona. Winds gusted up to 94 mph, blinding drivers, cutting off power, grounding flights, and plunging communities into darkness. Witnesses said visibility dropped so low, they couldn’t see their hand in front of their face. A haboob forms when a storm collapses, and cold air slams downward, hitting the dry ground and lifting massive clouds of dust. With nothing to hold the soil in place, the earth simply gives way to the wind.
This is a terrifying picture of what happens to us when our life is spiritually unanchored in Christ.
When the down drafts of life hit—unexpected sickness, betrayal, loss, or temptation—if our entire life isn’t anchored to Christ, the dust of fear, anger, or despair—rises quickly. We become blind and confused in the emotions and lies. We cannot see the way forward, because we have no foundation of trustworthy truth.
But when we are born again, our soul and spirit belong to Jesus, and He gives us the opportunity to build all our hope upon Him. He never changes. His truth is always the same. Friends, we can have a life built on the Rock that withstands any storm! We won’t just WITHSTAND the storm—we will experience Him MASTERING the storm.
What a life!
But to have this extraordinary experience, Christ MUST be our CENTER! The Bible makes it crystal clear:
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.” Psalm 18:2
“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:2
When our greatest faith is rooted in Jesus, when His Word is the most abundant seed planted in the soil of our mind, then—the winds may blow, and we are not overcome. We know the Rock is under our feet, and the presence of God in our life gives us HIS perspective in the storm. Because we live on the Rock, we have not added sand to our life to make the storm more dark and confusing. Life is already hard—we don’t need to make it harder by straying from the only true Anchor for our life.
My friend, the haboob was devastating—not because the storm was so great, but rather because the condition of the soil was dry, with no roots, and no rock. No storm can move the Rock. The wise man Jesus described laid his foundation on the Rock, and his house withstood the storm. Go to the Rock!
Reflection Thought
Identify the areas in your life which are leaving you vulnerable and blinded by dust, because they are not built on the Rock.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to be constantly making You my Rock and my refuge. Keep me grounded in Your Word, faithful to serve in my church, and building up the people as my strongest inner ring. When the winds of life press hard against me and the storms threaten to blind me, remind me of Your truth and Your love. May I hide Your Word in my heart, so You are my light and lamp. May Your Spirit guard my mind against fear and despair. Teach me to live anchored and shine Your light in the storms of life so others may see You and come to salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
