Of mayflies and eternal beings - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

Lay hold on eternal life.
1 Timothy 6:12

Of mayflies and eternal beings
Each year, a grand spectacle unfolds on the banks of the Hungarian river Tisza: millions of larvae of the Tisza mayfly, which have lived in the sand of the riverbed for three years, simultaneously swim to the water’s surface. Their skin splits open in the air, and they unfurl their wings. This mass emergence occurs only on a few days in early summer, and since this “nuptial flight” doesn’t happen at the same time every year, a person needs luck to witness it. It’s an impressive sight, especially since the flies are quite large, with a body length of four centimetres. In some years, so many are in the air that illuminated bridges at night are covered with dead flies, disrupting traffic. The Hungarians know this natural phenomenon well, and many travel to see it. The mayflies have only four hours for their maiden flight, mating and egg-laying. After that, they die.

Do not many people resemble these strange little creatures? They live entirely for the big moment: the successful audition, the perfect wave, the roaring applause, even if it’s just in the town hall. They shrink their happiness into a few eventful hours. But this falls short of what God has intended for us. He wants to give us a fulfilled life by His side and, ultimately, the eternal joy of heaven. Those who have found a new life perspective through the Lord Jesus will no longer live like a mayfly but as an eternal being.

Today’s reading: 1 Chronicles 16:23-43 · Psalms 89:11-19