Text: Psalm 84:1-8
Memory verse:
”But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭62‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

A personal goal is a specific target that an individual is striving for or hopes to achieve within a defined period of time.
We know that setting goals can help one to achieve success, but why does this not happen in some cases?
Let’s consider the factor of commitment today. When you are committed to a cause, it means you can give up other alternatives to pursue that cause. According to our text, going for pilgrimage in ancient times was an important part of the religious system, and so many plan early for it. Traveling through the dry desert land with their donkeys, some turn back, having tried a few times without success to find drinking water both for themselves and their animals. Others, with determination, dug several wells until they were about to find water. These were people, not just with casual commitment to go on pilgrimage, but those who set their minds on the goal. They turned the valley of Baca, that is, the valley of weeping, into a refreshing place, a spring of water. They eventually participated in the pilgrimage at Jerusalem with great joy and fulfillment. ”What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.“
‭‭(Psa‬ ‭84‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬).
Commitment separates between a goal getter and a dreamer. So many have great dreams of what they want to achieve in life but have no commitment to it. They give up with any slight challenge. Such people end up as failures. Like the common saying, “If wishes are horses, beggars will ride”. Paul remains an example of someone to learn from. Consider all that he passed through, and yet he didn’t call it a quit. He recalled how he was often put in prison; whipped times without number; was shipwrecked three times; faced dangers from robbers; many times without foods, and so forth (2 Cor 11: 24-27).
Commitment is like a super glue. It bonds you to your goals. It is doing what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said in has left. It is continuing after the ‘happy new year’ mood has left! It is sticking to your words after the prayer and fasting meeting has ended! It is remaining true after the honey moon or uni admission excitement is over!
Friends, achieving goals do not only come from setting goals but also adding commitment to it.

Prayer points
1. Father, please, I receive Your grace to be committed to my goals, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, please help me to confront any obstacles against the achievement of my goals this year, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. I don’t only set goals, I also give commitments to the achievement of my goals.
2. I am not a dreamer but a goal getter because I give up all other alternatives to the achievement of my goals.