Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46.2,3
There are two words here that we need to spend some time on. The first is 'fear'. The psalmist is quite clear. He will not fear. But please note the situations he writes about to illustrate his point: the earth falling apart all around him, mountains tossed into the sea and the sea responding with great tumult. The psalmist does not pick little problems to make his point. No, he points to natural cataclysms, things like earthquakes and tsunamis - pictures of big, life-changing events - make clear the extent of his fearlessness. Even when he is confronted by these sorts of things, he will not be afraid.
This would be mere boasting, bravado, except for the other word that we need to spend time on: 'therefore'. What the psalmist writes about in these lines, his refusal to fear, is tied to - is a result of - what he wrote about in the previous lines. He will not fear because of the kind of God he worships. It is because his God is a refuge, strength, a very present help, that our writer will not fear. And he will not fear because he knows that there is nothing to fear. His God is near.
Please understand that this does not mean that evil will never touch our friend. He knows better. But he also knows that the evil that will come his way cannot destroy him. In fact, it will bring good. He knows that because behind the evil is his God, the one who provides shelter, endurance and whatever else he needs to stay the course until the good is achieved. Neither does this mean that our psalmist will never feel those nervous butterflies in his stomach. There is danger in our world, and being aware of that is part of wisdom. But even the worst danger will not stop our friend from pursuing the path that his God has called him to follow, evil and all.
Our writing friend is not unique. He is describing the heritage of all who follow Jesus. All that is needed is for us to believe what he has written here. We can entrust ourselves to our Savior who continues to protect, strengthen and aid us. As we do that we will also find that there is nothing to fear.