Is it simply going to heaven one day—walking streets of gold or receiving a glorified body? Or is it something we experience now? Maybe even Someone we know?

Before going to the cross, Jesus answered this question in a passionate prayer:

Eternal life is not primarily an eternal place we hope to reach—it is an eternal God we are invited to know today.

This truth changed my life as a freshman in college. I had never been to church, had never read the Bible for myself, and though I believed in God, I didn’t know Him personally. During that season, I began reading Scripture and found myself captivated by Jesus’ words in Matthew 7: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’” (Matthew 7:23a)

That sentence gripped me. I realized it was possible to be religious—active, even impressive—and still not know God. As I wrestled with this passage, I sensed the Lord drawing me near, convicting me of sin, and graciously inviting me into a relationship with Him. By faith, I believed in Jesus and began pursuing a life of knowing Him—a journey that continues to this day and ultimately inspired this devotional.

Years later, that same theme came alive again while traveling through Greece and Turkey, tracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Acts 16–20. In Athens, Paul encountered an altar inscribed, “To an unknown god.” Rather than condemning their ignorance, Paul proclaimed that the one true God is not distant or unknowable—but near, personal, and revealed in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:22-34).

Eternal life, Paul declared, is found in knowing Him.

As we begin this 21-day journey, we’ll walk through the places Paul traveled and allow God to reveal more of who He is. Our goal is simple: to know God more deeply and experience the joy and fruit that flow from that relationship.

Let’s take the journey together—and let’s get to know God.