Fear Robs You Blind
Fear blinds you to the truth and blocks your blessing. In this powerful devotion, Dianna Hobbs reveals how faith opens your eyes and positions you for divine favor.
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Every year, the Hobbs family makes the trip out to Six Flags Darien Lake. It’s our tradition: a day full of laughter, overpriced snacks, and lasting memories.
Last year, my oldest son, Kedar—the family daredevil—convinced me to ride the SkyScreamer. It’s a towering swing that looks harmless from the ground but turns terrifying once you’re in the air. It lifts you 242 feet high and spins you at 35 miles per hour.
That might sound fun, and not scary at all, to some people. But me? Heights and I have never been friends.
Still, Kedar sold me on the “breathtaking panoramic view.”
“Come on, Mommy, you’ve got to see it from up there!” he said, even showing me footage he’d captured on his phone. It looked amazing, especially at night with all the colorful lights.
I hesitated, hemmed and hawed, and came up with every excuse I could. But I didn’t want fear to have the final word. So I relented and did it.
I was terrified. The air felt thin. My heart pounded. I could barely breathe. That beautiful view? I missed it completely. With my eyes squeezed shut, all I could see was fear. By the time we touched the ground, I was shaking and in tears.
The kids reminded me of those tears recently, and now we laugh about it. But in that moment, fear felt massive. It felt like it ruled everything.
That ride, which I got on for the view but saw nothing because I was afraid, taught me something: fear will rob you blind if you let it, both naturally and spiritually.
Fear can keep us from obeying God and cause us to forfeit the blessings He has in store for us. That’s exactly what happened to King Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, in Jeremiah 37. Fear didn’t just rob him emotionally, it literally blinded him.
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No One Listened
First, let’s set the stage and walk together into this period in history, right before Judah fell to Babylon.
At the time, Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, is the prophet. He’s speaking to everyone: King Zedekiah, the officials, the priests, and ordinary people.
His message?
Judgment is coming for Judah’s sins. He calls them to turn from idols and surrender to Babylon’s rule, because it’s the discipline God has chosen for their disobedience.
But no one listened.
Zedekiah refused Jeremiah’s prophecies but begged for his prayers (vv. 3–4). He sent messengers, saying, “Pray to the Lord our God for us.”
Wait. Suddenly it’s “the Lord our God”? Only one of them was actually listening to God, and it wasn’t Zedekiah.
He ignored God’s direction, but when things got tough, he wanted prayer. He wanted blessing without surrender, help without heeding advice. Zedekiah didn’t honor Jeremiah’s role as God’s spokesman, but when crisis hit, suddenly he wanted a prophet in his corner.
In response, Jeremiah gave him the same divine message: Judah had sinned, and surrendering to Babylon was the only way out.
Not the answer Zedekiah or his sinful leadership wanted.
So in Jeremiah 38, Zedekiah’s officials demanded the prophet’s death because he kept saying what God said.
Zedekiah didn’t stop them either. He let his henchmen throw Jeremiah into a cistern, a deep, muddy pit meant to kill him.
Shameful. Sometimes the same people who ask you for prayer and a word from the Lord will just as soon throw you in a pit.
But God raised up Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian official in the palace, who had the courage to plead Jeremiah’s case and rescue him.
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The Fear Factor
Now let’s get into how fear plays into all of this.
In Jeremiah 38:14–23, Zedekiah sneaks back to Jeremiah for a private conversation, asking for a word from the Lord…again.
Sir, how many words do you need? Obey or keep it moving, right?
Anyway, Jeremiah tells Zedekiah straight once more: surrender, and you’ll live. Resist, and you’ll lose everything.
This time, Zedekiah reveals a deep secret: “But I am afraid to surrender,” he confesses (v. 19). Why? “The Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them, and who knows what they will do to me!”
There it is: the fear factor.
That word “afraid” Zedekiah uses comes from the Hebrew verb da’ag, pronounced dah-ahg. This rare verb, found only seven times in the Old Testament, means “I am anxious” or “I am worrying.”
It’s not a fleeting moment of fear. It describes ongoing, consuming inner turmoil—a restless heart preoccupied with potential disaster. It’s the kind of fear that tightens its grip when circumstances feel out of control.
Ever felt that kind of fear?
Da’ag reveals a focus that has shifted away from God’s sovereignty. Zedekiah isn’t just scared; he’s spiritually stuck, trapped in a cycle of what-ifs and worst-case scenarios.
Here’s something fascinating, friend: the name Zedekiah in Hebrew means “The Lord is my righteousness” or “God’s justice.” His name declared a life anchored in divine truth and moral uprightness.
But in Jeremiah 38:19, we see a tragic irony. Zedekiah, whose name testified to trust in God’s righteousness, is paralyzed by fear and consumed by deep anxiety.
Instead of embodying the bold faith his name implies, Zedekiah crumbles. He ignores the word of the Lord and clings to fear. The man called to represent God’s justice couldn’t trust that justice when it mattered most.
This disconnect between his identity and his actions is sobering. It reminds us that we can carry a calling, bear a godly name, and still miss the mark if fear governs our choices. Zedekiah’s story challenges us to ask: are we trusting God’s righteousness, or are we letting fear keep us from obedience?
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A Powerful Contrast
When it comes to fear and its attack on our psyche, our emotions, and our faith, there is a powerful contrast I want to point out.
This same word da’ag appears in Jeremiah 17:8, a passage where the prophet describes the righteous. He explains that those who are confident in the Lord do not fear when heat comes and do not worry in drought, because their trust is in God.
Here’s what the passage says:
“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear (da’ag) when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
So then, the righteous person, rooted in God, experiences the same external, anxiety-inducing pressures—the same heat—but has a different internal posture. The difference isn’t in the condition; it’s in the confidence.
My, my. How powerful is that?
Confidence in man produces da’ag—overwhelming anxiety and paralyzing fear. Confidence in God produces stability.
God told me to ask somebody: Where is your confidence? In man or in God? In your understanding or His sovereignty?
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Blinded By Fear
Here we enter the most tragic scene in this story. Just as God warned, Babylon invades. In Jeremiah 39, the prophecy is fulfilled. Zedekiah tries to run but is captured.
In a terrible twist, he’s forced to watch his sons slaughtered by King Nebuchadnezzar, along with Judah’s nobles. Then, because Zedekiah chose fear over faith, Nebuchadnezzar gouges out both his eyes. He’s taken in chains to Babylon (see vv. 5–7).
Zedekiah was physically blinded by fear because he refused spiritual sight. His fear of people cost him everything. Fear robbed him blind. What a travesty.
Listen, my friend: when we let fear of people, opinions, rejection, criticism, controversy, and adversity run our lives, it ruins our lives. We miss out on the blessings that come through obedience.
I don’t know about you, but I’m choosing faith and obedience. Even if people don’t like it. Even if it costs me relationships, reputation, or comfort. Even if I have to cry sometimes. Even if I must say yes with hands trembling and knees shaking. My heart is steady. My mind is made up. I’m following Jesus and doing things God’s way, no matter what.
Why? Because my confidence is in the Lord.
Have I got another witness on that?
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An Incredible Twist
Here’s what amazes me: while Zedekiah’s rebellion and fear brought ruin, Jeremiah’s obedience and faith brought protection and an incredible twist in Jeremiah 39:11–14.
Even after being thrown into a cistern and later imprisoned, God took care of him. When Nebuchadnezzar seized Judah, he personally instructed his captain to find Jeremiah, treat him well, and give him whatever he wanted.
Come on, Jesus!
Think about that. While chaos was everywhere, Jeremiah was looked after. He was freed from prison and entrusted to an official with orders to be kind to him. Scripture says Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian captain of the guard, set Jeremiah free, gave him food and money, and allowed him to stay in Judah.
What a story. Every need was supplied. God favored Jeremiah in the midst of affliction. He was walking around free, even though he was technically a captive.
I feel like shouting!
Who wouldn’t serve a God like this?
Jeremiah didn’t have to force things or manipulate outcomes. He simply didn’t give in to fear. And because he obeyed and trusted the Lord, God took care of the rest. Look at how God flips things in favor of His faithful servants.
Today, God sent me to let you know: if you keep doing what’s right, even when the results seem wrong, He’s going to flip things in your favor. God will honor your obedience. He’ll reward your faithfulness. He’s going to turn things around.
Hold on. Don’t give up just because it’s hard. Trust that the God, who always keeps His promises, will show Himself faithful to you.
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From Jeremiah to Jesus
Jeremiah’s story points us to Jesus, who was also rejected, falsely accused, and handed over by the powerful. Like Jesus, Jeremiah was shunned by his own people and preached a hard message of repentance and coming judgment. Like Jesus, he was innocent, yet hated for speaking God’s truth.
The name Jeremiah means “The Lord will exalt” or “God will uplift.” And I love this: just as Jeremiah was lowered into a muddy cistern, a dark, slimy pit meant to silence him, Jesus was lowered into a borrowed tomb. But just as God lifted Jeremiah out of that pit, He raised Jesus from the grave with all authority in His hands.
Jeremiah stood firm under pressure. But Jesus went even further. He gave His life. Isaiah 53:3 tells us He was “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Still, He remained faithful, enduring the cross to bring salvation.
So when you choose faith and obedience, even when it costs you, you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus. And you can be sure of this: whatever pit you're in, God will pull you out. Whatever seems dead, He can resurrect. Whatever looks lost, He can restore.
There is no need to walk in fear, be paralyzed by worry, or live in a constant state of anxiety. When obedience flows from a heart of trust in the Lord, worry takes a back seat. Faith opens blinded eyes, both naturally and spiritually, and reveals the truth that the Greater One lives in you (1 John 4:4).
To help you walk in that confidence, I’m stirring the sweet truth of Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV) into your cup of inspiration: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, I speak blessings over you as you trust Him. I decree and declare that your perspective is shifting right now as you receive this word.
May you see and know that God is already working in your favor.
See and know that victory is already secured.
See and know the host of angels encamped around you (Psalm 34:7).
See and know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
See and know that God is for you, so nothing and no one can stand against you (Romans 8:31).
As long as God is with you, and you walk in obedience to His will, fear cannot stop you. It cannot rob you of the good things He has prepared for you, even in your land of affliction.
Now, let’s pray.
Lord, Your Word reminds us that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but You came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Today, we come against that thief called fear, the Satanic attack on our faith and purpose, and we declare victory. Help us walk in the authority You have given us through Christ. Remind us that no matter what circumstances we face, You are faithful to favor us, deliver us, and perform Your word as we trust in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
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