Like a Rock

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” —Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

Bob Seger’s 1986 anthem “Like a Rock” paints a vivid picture of youthful eighteen-year-old strength—standing firm, unshaken, full of conviction. It’s a song of memory and longing, looking back on a time when conviction felt invincible and identity was clear. But as the years pass, that rocklike certainty erodes. The strength Seger describes is compelling, but temporal. It’s rooted in human experience—resolute, vulnerable, and ultimately fleeting.

Psalm 18 offers a different kind of rock. Not a memory, but a refuge. Not a metaphor for strength lost, but a promise of strength sustained.

Seger sings: “Like a rock, I was strong as I could be / Like a rock, nothin’ ever got to me.”

This strength is tied to self-reliance, to a season of life when the singer felt untouchable. But the song is steeped in nostalgia—he’s no longer that person. Now approaching middle age, that rock is a faded, distant memory.

Contrast that with David’s declaration in Psalm 18. Here, “rock” is not a symbol of past strength but of present salvation. God is not a fading ideal but an active deliverer, fortress, shield, and stronghold. The psalmist’s security is not self-made—it’s received. It’s not lost—it’s eternal.

Seger’s rock is a snapshot. God’s rock is a sanctuary.

We all have seasons when we feel “like a rock”—confident, secure, grounded. And we all have seasons when that strength falters. The foundation we once leaned on may shift. The people we trusted may move away. Our own resolve may crack.

But God’s strength is not seasonal. It is not nostalgic. It is not dependent on our youth, our clarity, or our performance. It is steadfast. It is refuge. It is rock.

When we feel like we’re losing grip, Psalm 18 reminds us: we don’t have to be the rock–because we have a Rock.

God our Rock,

When our strength fades and our memories ache,

Remind us that your refuge is not a moment—it’s a promise.

Be our fortress when we feel exposed,

Our shield when we feel vulnerable,

Our stronghold when we feel lost.

Help us rest not on our personal strength,

But in your strength that never fails.

Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim