Appearances can be deceptive. And sometimes deception can lead to mistaken conclusions about the condition or value of something you care about—your church, for example.
Perhaps your church has a handful of members and only occasional visitors to your services, Sunday School, and Reading Room. Perhaps attendance by newcomers at public lectures is disappointing. If any of this is the case, it can be tempting to conclude that the church is not only small, but insignificant. Yet, appearances deceive.
A ray of light is never insignificant; and the simultaneous shining of a number of rays can produce rejuvenating illumination and warmth. The same is true of drops of water. A few raindrops can make some desert plants bloom. More important, even a little expression of love, tenderly offered to a discouraged or frightened heart, can change a life.
