“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” — Acts 12:21-23
There was no doubt Herod was a man of authority. According to Romans 13:1, the position of authority is given by God. For one to abuse a God-given position is foolish.
It was not necessarily Herod’s fault that people thought he was great, but it made him prideful, which in turn led to his destruction.
Nebuchadnezzar had a similar situation in Daniel 4:30-34. He had authority, position, and power. He looked at all he had, and swelling in pride, he said all he had was a result of his own doing. At that moment God sent him to eat grass in the field like an animal. His pride caused him to lose it all. Contrary to the story of Herod, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself, recognizing that all comes from God. At the moment Nebuchadnezzar looked to God, his position was restored.
Pride always destroys, unless you recognize and repent before it’s too late. Pride looks attractive to flirt with, but it destroys every lover it’s ever had. Pride killed Herod, and pride will kill you if you do not run from it. God declares this, and history has proven it time and again. So remember, when you’re praised by others, be sure to give God the glory. Remember that when favor and fruit are evident in your life or ministry, be sure to give God the glory. All the glory belongs to the Lord, make sure you don’t forget it. Never be so arrogant as to think that who you are, what you have, or what you’ve done is because of you. Give God the glory!