Is God positioning you for a special assignment?

Tom Harper July 21, 2025

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There are so many examples of biblical leadership in the Old Testament. Daniel was one such leader, who was personally told by angels that he was "highly esteemed" (9:23, 10:11, 10:19). I wonder what it would be like to receive a compliment like that!

As I crack open this fascinating book of the Bible, I'm preparing for the lessons and reminders on how to lead (and follow) better. I'm also looking forward to being in awe of God as he works through Daniel.

The context of Daniel 1 is that the Israelites had been disobeying the Lord and worshiping idols. He delivers his promised punishment via the king of Babylon, who conquers Judah.

Embedded in this story of national tragedy is the tale of Daniel, a leader whom God chose to raise up from the ashes of apparent defeat. The first lesson I took away from my reading was that the Lord positions his servants where he wants them (vv. 3-5).

Daniel and three other young men are singled out by the Babylonian king to serve him in his courts. However, as we know, their story is not over; in fact, it is just beginning.

Like Daniel and his friends, we don't know what's next in our own lives. The feeling of uncertainty is compounded if we've experienced a defeat. Imagine how these young men felt the day they were carted away by the Babylonian invaders.

Thankfully, we know the rest of their story, and how God will use them—especially Daniel. This should give us hope when we feel beaten down. It's not over for us, either. In fact, we might find ourselves in the equivalent of enemy territory "for such a time as this" (to quote Esther 4:14).

Here are two questions to help encourage you in your own servant leadership journey.

1. If you find yourself in a difficult place, is it possible you're being positioned to serve God in a unique way?

2. Can you imagine how your current circumstances might be preparing you for a time yet to come?

In anticipation,

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
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Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022). Learn More »

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