Why is life not "candy and nuts"?

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We all like to quote Bible verses containing God’s promises; but most of these promises are accompanied by a condition.  We ignore the conditions that accompany these promises; and, when these promises don’t come to fruition, we explain it by claiming that God is sovereign and that we cannot understand His will.  We often misquote verses such as Isaiah 55:8-9:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Ignoring the fact that the previous verses say:

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD

Ignoring that in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul compares the natural man (unsaved) who does not have the mind of Christ with the saved man, who has the mind of Christ:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.  2 Cor. 2:14-16

 

When a promise does not come to fruition, we would rather say it was God’s will rather than to examine our own lives and our own faith, or lack there of.  James tells us in James 1: 5-8:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

We ignore the commands that Jesus gave His disciples in Mark 16:15-18:

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. ¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark then adds a P.S. in verse 19

They went forth and preached everywhere and the Lord worked them and confirmed His Word.

Did God change His Word?  Did the Lord quit working with them?  Did He quit confirming His Word?  Did He empower His disciples with a different Holy Spirit than we have today?  Is it possible that we are the ones who have changed?  Is it possible that we have been conformed to this world?  Is it possible we have not been transformed, that we have not renewed our minds? 

 Until we do, we will never prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God?

Romans 12:2

 Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.