Many make the assumption that an individual or a nation that is cursed automatically goes through difficulties.
But the Bible carries a strange story of a man who, though cursed, prospered and did well in his life.
Cain was cursed for killing his brother and what makes it worse, the Bible also shows that there was already another curse that was active.
This was the curse that had been placed on the ground because of his father Adam’s sin. Genesis 3:17-19: “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
God had said the ground would be cursed because of Adam’s sin, and would now produce thorns and thistles, which would make it less productive. Cain was a farmer and he grew up when the ground was already cursed, he had not farmed or tilled in the Garden of Eden, so the life of toil and hard work had become normal to him.
So many people have concluded that difficulties are a mark of a curse but the story of Cain tells us a different story that some that are cursed do prosper and that hardships in life are not a sign of a curse. Are you cursed or do you think your current circumstances are because of a curse?
Some who assume they are cursed are bad managers of their own destinies only. The first question we should be asking is what then is a curse and how does it affect individuals or even nations.
A curse is an utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. So there was surely a curse upon Cain but even though there was a curse, Cain did something amazing.
Cain was able to build the first city recorded in the Bible called the city of Enoch. Genesis 4:16-17: “And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”
When you look at the curse pronounced upon Cain, it was said from that day the ground would not yield its strength to him — meaning the capacity of the earth to produce for him and his seed had been reduced.
Remember, already the ground had been cursed and it was even hard to farm and produce.
Farming was Cain’s source of livelihood and God made it even harder for him yet he built a city. I discovered this handicap brought upon by the curse did not stop Cain from being productive, but pushed him to shift and open himself up to new areas. So the curse caused Cain to be limited in one area but Cain found a way to escape the effects of the curse.
Cain’s curse pronounced that the ground would not produce for him, but it did not say he could not do business or trade in the city. We can not cancel out the fact that people go through trying times and difficulties. But yet we can learn from Cain who was cursed but yet built a city.
The curse on his life did not stop him from building a city and nothing can stop you from prospering and increasing .
Cain was able to rise above his handicap. Likewise, you need to stop focusing on your weaknesses and misfortunes and focus on your growth.
In conclusion, the story of Cain challenges those that have given up on life and have concluded because they believe they are cursed they will never prosper or make it in life.
Despite being cursed Cain demonstrated remarkable strength and adaptability. He defied his limitations and built a city, proving that pronounced curses, your background and even your foundation can never define your destiny.
This story reminds us that while hardships are a part of life, they are not all because of curses and even if it is a curse it has no capacity to stop you if you decide today and say you will prosper and manifest the beauty of God in your life. Just as Cain prospered even under a curse, we too can prosper. God Bless You
- Humphrey Mtandwa is an apostolic teacher of the word of God and founder of Believers Voice of Triumph Ministries. He has authored many books, including The Enoch Generation, Truthfulness, Night Parables and Theophany. If you want to connect with him or have any questions, get in touch on www.apostlehumphrey.com