Rhonda (00:00.908)
Hey everybody, before I get into the story behind Determine Our Fate, which is one of the songs on my first CD, I want to let you all know that, trying to record this season of YouTube and podcasting, I have run into so much adversity. Like so much. I wet my computer.
With water, so I ended up having to get a new computer, and most recently I accidentally dropped the new computer, which means the screen is cracked, but we thank god I did get some warranties, so we're gonna see how good this warranty is, but let's get into it. I'm just letting you know that I am pressing through. Sometimes you gotta press through
And I'm trying so hard to press through. So let's get into it. Let's get into it. The reason why I recorded Determine Our Fate. And if you have not listened to the song, you can go to YouTube, my channel, Spotify.
Apple Music, anywhere you listen to music, and you can listen to Determine I Fate. So I want to preface this because I'm pretty sure some people, some Christians have a problem with the word fate, because you know, fate is used in a lot of different religions or new age thinking that you can make things happen for yourselves. But if you listen to the words of this song, specifically the first verse.
It is a prayer. I wrote this song when I was with some of my friends and associates, and I noticed that they were making decisions based off of what their friends were doing versus what they knew they should have been doing, what God was calling them to do. And so the first verse, if you listen to it, which I'm going to play in just a moment, it
Rhonda (02:10.381)
Is a prayer. So let's get into it and I'm gonna walk through one of or some of my favorite parts of the song, but also most importantly, know that this song was written because I really wanted to express a prayer of concern.
To individuals who may have been struggling with choosing the Lord in various circumstances, whether it was in relationships, whether it was choosing to actually live for him, whether it was choosing a guy, going out, doing things that were not good for your spiritual man or your body. I wanted to the Lord.
To change our hearts, to determine for us, for them, the way in which they could go, even in the moments when they didn't feel like it, God grace them, give them a desire to want to be in you.
And of course, then the song goes on and it talks about that exactly. So let's get into it because we are
wanna make sure that you can hear the song, okay? So I'm gonna share the song. Hopefully YouTube acts right for us today and you can hear it andor see it.
Rhonda (05:02.881)
Okay, so you can hear right there that prayer, especially in the chorus, God, turn it around right now. Make our hearts adore you. And sometimes people have the conflict of like, God can't make anybody do anything. But I believe that if the Lord can change the heart of the king, then he can change the heart of anybody. He can tender it and and make it plowable and make it open to.
living for him to loving him. Like of course we still have to make the choice, right? We still have to choose him as our savior, but Lord, turn it around right now.
Make our hearts adore you, turn our hearts to you. God, bless us right now. Determine our faith. Determine our path. Don't allow our friends to determine. But God, you determine exactly what we need to do and how we should move. Proverbs 16 and 9, which is one of my favorite verses, says, In the hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. So
Even with all of our plans, even with me trying to re record and share with you all, is the Lord really who establishes us and gives us the steps that we do need to take. So if you listen to the next part of this particular song, you'll hear that the prayer then
for other people turns into a surrendered prayer to God, like here I am. Like there is a complete transformation from verse one in the chorus and then verse two. Let's take a listen.
Rhonda (07:38.286)
As you can see, the first verse, I don't know if you second verse, I don't know if you heard it says, Father, to you we give our hopes and dreams to mold them at you will take this vessel, Lord, right? Change it, mold it for your glory. my gosh, what would life be like if we allow the Lord to determine our fate, to determine our steps, to determine what we decide to do with our in our lives? what would life be like?
Yes, the holla is real. The holler is real. And that's what's most important to me. And I feel like any believer that we want the Lord to be head in our lives. And that we want him to change us and to mold us so that we can be a reflection of him in every area of our lives. That we don't have to go through life.
As I shared previously, if we're bitter, if we are hurt, if we're broken, but we truly can rediscover joy. And I'm not talking about a fake joy or a happiness that's just for a moment. No, establishing true joy in living life.
That when you smile, it's not a put on. That when you get up in the morning, you go different places, you actually have real joy. And it is not predicated on circumstance. It's not predicated on if you're married, if you're single, it's not predicated on if you got the car, the job that you want. But this joy, truly, that I have.
The Lord has given to me, the Lord has ordered my steps, the Lord has literally shifted my heart, changed my mind. So if we listen to this third void verse, which is really powerful, it is still like this surrendered concept to God, to the author and the finisher of our faith, to the living savior, to the king of kings, the one who rules over everything. He can help us with our emotions.
Rhonda (09:49.679)
He can lead us out. He can guide us. So let's get into this third verse.
Rhonda (10:11.767)
So through your mighty power, we surrender the deepest part of us. Many times that's the part that we don't want to talk about. That's the part that no one sees, the part that we cover up when we go to church or when we're going through. Let me tell you something. Surrenderance is so important. And I'm talking about surrenderance every single day. I
Recently went through something that I did not surrender because I was so shocked by the situation that I just kept holding on to it and trying to understand it. And the manifestation of that not surrendering showed up in my life three months later after the incident.
And it showed up in my life, y'all. I would I'm not gonna lie, it showed up in my life as hair loss, a ball spot in my head. What? Who gets hair loss? Who gets hair loss? Someone who is probably stressed out and not surrendering everything to the Lord. I don't want y'all to go through that, okay? So the deepest part of me, the parts that I don't want to talk about, the parts that I keep thinking about, Lord.
I surrender it to you. And I want you to take this vessel and mold it for your glory. I hope that you can relate and that you can understand this prayer. You can understand this song that God truly finds delight in taking care of us. And I love this song because it reminds me often of how powerful God is and how.
I'm nothing without him. And yet with him I have everything. So let's listen to the chorus again. Here it goes. And then we get to one of my favorite parts, which is the ending.
Rhonda (13:32.044)
Y'all, that's the part right there. That is the part right there. That is the heaven's bakery. In you is where we want to be forever in your eternity. my gosh. Thou wilt show me the path of life.
In thy presence is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 1611. You will show me the path of life. That part right there is something to shout about and something to remember. God, you promised that you will show me the path of life. And in your presence, there is fullness of joy.
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Just that one scripture, Psalm 16: 11, three parts. You're gonna show me the path of life. In your presence, there's joy, and at your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. What a promise! So I love this part of the song. Okay, I'm gonna play the rest of it, but in you is where we want to be.
Forever in your eternity. My God. Okay.
Rhonda (16:15.289)
So, y'all now know the story behind Determine Our Fate. You know exactly why it was written, and some of the scriptures I was thinking of when writing it. And I hope that it blesses you. I hope that in this moment you can find a reason to ask the Lord to.
Order your steps to change your heart, for him to determine what's best for you in your life. I have spent many times, and I'm sure you all can relate, trying to make things happen, trying to determine what I think is best for me. And really, at the end of the day, I want what God wants, and I want what he thinks is best for me. And
A lot of times it doesn't look like what I expected. So I hope you enjoyed this. Make sure you leave a comment before you go. Definitely give a review to this podcast if you're listening to it. And I always want to let you all know about
Sing your way back to joy. It is a beautiful guide that can give you prayer points, a playlist, and most importantly, some coaching that can help you sing your way back.
To joy from situations that seem very, very difficult. So until next time, definitely check out www.rhondalive.com, and I cannot wait to catch you all on the next episode. Bye.
