I think it's the difference between knowing the outcome and controlling the outcome. I heard a good analogy on this site not too long ago. God can see us and our events as if he's waching a videotape of a football game. He can speed up or slow down the action. He can fast forward. He knows the final score. He can stop or pause the action. He can destroy the tape if he wishes, override our free will and destroy us all.
In our case, the end of the game is salvation for all those who obey:
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
And the second death for those who don't:
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
God let's us use our free will to determine our individual outcomes for ourselves. That doesn't mean he plans how it will come out, but he does know where our choices will lead us.
Until someone invents a time machine, we'll never really know if we could have chosen otherwise, even though we believed we could.
I might have agreed with you at one time. But faith in Christ grows confidence in the outcome.
Eph 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
Eph 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
Eph 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Eph 3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
It isn't self-delusion, wishful thinking, or even hope. It's a confidence that comes from seeing the changes Christ works in us and in those around us.
Well, you believe that God will destroy us, if He overrides our free-will, and I believe that He controls our free-will. We're just different.
As you say, it's all a matter of faith.