TeaTime Devotional August 1st, 2025

Written By:    Tynema Highsmith

Scripture:       Deuteronomy 28:7 NLT

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you.  They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

Testify:

One of my favorite Disney movies is The Lion King—the original one, of course. I especially love the part when Scar tricks Simba by convincing him and Nyla to go to the elephant’s graveyard. He got them there so they could be eaten by the hyenas. The hyenas surround Simba and Nyla, threatening them. Simba attempts to defend them with a roar, but his roar has no power. He tries again, his enemies laughing in his face; even they realize that he has no power. The hyenas were in a winning position. They were going to walk away full, with no care for whom they devoured. The hyenas, however, had one problem: they forgot who Simba’s daddy was. So, on that third roar, Mufasa showed up—his roar shaking the place and making the hyenas run for their lives in all different directions.   

Edify:

When I think of this scripture, that’s the imagery I see—the only difference is the players. Imagine you’re Simba, trying to prepare for a position that you’re too small to handle. Heck, you may even be Nyla, following your friend crush. Suddenly, you find yourself cornered by the enemy. This enemy is not new—you know their name, their tactics, and the rules of their game. You know because you’ve played before. You’re down for the count, and then you remember who your heavenly Father is. You remember that the train of His robe fills the temple, representing the many battles He’s won.  You cry out to Him, your cry weak. You cry again, still not powerful enough. Then this scripture comes to mind: the Lord will allow your enemies that rise up against you to be defeated. They come in one way—maybe from your bad choices, or from you being a repeat offender, or maybe from you simply opening the door—but after you let the Lord in, that same enemy will have to flee seven ways. So, all you have to do is Pull Up. God’s got the rest.

Apply:

Has anyone ever struggled with being Simba? Maybe you’re struggling with simply being yourself. Have you opened a door and are now having difficulties shutting and nailing it closed? If so, this month’s devotional is for you. We are able to show you how to Pull Up on the enemy and take all your stuff back—by force. Y’all ready to Pull Up?