In Psalm 46:1-7, the Psalmist puts forth that God is our refuge, strength and stronghold in order that we may not fear. However, one of the implications is that no one learns the heights of the greatness of God’s power and protection in those ways until it is needed most?
This is a very significant area in which we go haywire in our thinking because we want to obtain God’s protecting presence prior to anything our little worried hearts might think of. Of course, we have his spirit, his promises and his perfect track record, but God supplies unique grace, mercy and comfort IN the trial, NOT beforehand. We’d like it to be before anything occurs so that we wouldn’t need faith, but that’s not how God works in his people because without faith, it’s impossible to please him. So when we find God to be even a greater refuge and strength for us in those times, our self-sufficiency is on the decline as our faith in him is growing rapidly. That is how fear is defeated.