Life often feels like it runs in circles, repeating the same struggles and routines. Yet Dr. Michelle Corral says the Bible reveals something greater. Drawing from Ecclesiastes, she explains that there are two ways to live: one bound to cycles without change and the other filled with purpose through God’s providence.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
“There are two dimensions of time that are revealed to us in Ecclesiastes,” she said. “Number one, the time that can be for your life, which is under the heaven, or the time that can be under the sun. Two different types of lives that we can live.”
Living Under the Heaven
For Dr. Corral, to live “under the heaven” means to walk fully under God’s direction. “Those who are under the heaven and those who trust completely in the Lord are walking and living under the power of providence,” she explained. “He guides every thought. He guides my steps. He guides those who I meet. He is the one who orchestrates and coordinates all the events in my life.”
This view, she said, gives assurance that nothing in life is accidental. Even trials have meaning when seen through the lens of divine providence.
Life Under the Sun
In contrast, to live “under the sun” is to be caught in an endless cycle without God’s direction. Dr. Corral quoted Ecclesiastes 1:9: “There is no new thing under the sun.” She explained that life without God is bound to repetition, describing it as “the cycle of creation” that never changes.
“When I’m not living under the power of God, I’m stuck in the cycle. I can’t break out of it,” she said.
Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, The Avatar on Amazon.com!
Purpose in Every Season
But for those who walk with the Lord, Dr. Corral emphasized that seasons change and each one carries meaning. “You’re not going to be stuck in this storm forever because God’s got a purpose for you right now,” she said.
Quoting Ecclesiastes 3, she highlighted that there is “a time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” These seasons, she explained, are not random but designed by God to bring about transformation.
Seasons of Dying and Renewal
Dr. Corral encouraged believers not to fear seasons of loss or endings. “A time to die to ourself, a time to die to selfishness, a time to die to self-centeredness, a time to die to being seen of men, and a time to live for others,” she said. “A time to bring the gospel to the entire world. A time of selflessness.”
Even times of weeping, she said, are not wasted. “Today you may be weeping, but child, tomorrow you’re going to laugh,” she told her audience. “Because you serve Jesus, He’s going to bring some laughter into your life.”
Hope in Every Season
The heart of her message was one of hope. “There’s a purpose behind every season of your life,” Dr. Corral said. “It means that it’s not going to stay this way forever. And when you are guided by divine providence, God will bring purpose out of every season.”
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
Her words carried an uplifting reminder: life is never meaningless when lived under God’s direction. Even in seasons of hardship, His providence is shaping something eternal.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
