Mason is a man on a mission. His
stated concern for both those he knows and those he does not is what
has driven him to offer his meditations to the world; his passion is to
see as many people as possible become truly aware of what is happening
in their lives and to realize that with God on their side they can
thrive. Structuring his book in a way that it can be read as a daily
devotional, with each page comprising one topic, he presents hope and
encouragement to all who care to read his words.
The author’s selections occasionally take the form of prayers but most
often consist of advice aimed at an issue that his audience might be
facing. For instance, in “Watch for the Road Blocks,” he encourages us
to realize that the roadblocks we face in life may be put there by God
to direct us along a better path. At other times, he explores a social
problem from a spiritual perspective. For example, in “The Devil Never
Quit at His Job,” Mason discusses how there is too much hate in the
world. We can deflect this hate when it is directed at us by modeling
Christ, a person who refused to hate others or let their negative
influence and opinions affect what he knew to be true about himself. He
goes on to argue that “the devil and his recruiters” are the biggest
haters of all, having first hated God for not giving the devil equal
power, and then later hating Jesus Christ for following his father’s
will in directing people toward God.
Each one of the author’s brief meditations is filled with small nuggets
of encouragement for life’s journey. Ideas such as the importance of
never giving up, avoiding negativity, being grateful, seeing yourself
in God’s eyes and not as others might wrongly view you, etc. are found
on every page. The shortness of each passage is also ideal for those
who want an inspiring thought for the day ahead but who do not have a
lot of time to spend reading before beginning it. In this respect,
Mason’s book follows in a long line of similar works such as Oswald
Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest or Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and
Evening. The overall positive tone of the book, though, reminds one
more of a devotional by Joel Osteen or Max Lucado than of one by the
early masters of this style of literature.
Although Mason's love for his fellow man comes across clearly in his book, insufficient editing often blunts the excellent points he is trying to convey. Still, the author’s heart is readily visible in his writing,
and the encouragement that one can glean from his words provide a
positive boost for either the start of the day or as a final thought
before bedtime. Thought-provoking, inspiring, and in a format that fits
in well with our fast-paced lifestyles, Mason’s book has much to offer
those seeking a quick, spiritual pick-me-up.