Unpredictable Promises?

Since the Kairos retreat I have been thinking about the nature of God's promises. I have to admit this is an area of struggle for me. I think the reason for my struggle is because that which at the surface seems rather simple and straightforward in actuality becomes rather unpredictable, at least in the short term. Sometimes I wrestle with trying to figure out just what exactly can I reasonably expect from God? ("Reasonably expect" are not the best words but they'll have to do for now.)

For instance, I very much believe the promise in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose", but I also have to reconcile that with the fact that in the short term I might very well get my head lopped off (Matt 14:10, Acts 12:2). Or, consider the beautiful promise of restoration demonstrated in Jeremiah's purchase of the field (Jer 32:14-15), and yet Jeremiah likely died in relative obscurity in Egypt while his countrymen were in exile in Babylon.

This sort of thing can really draw out the skeptical contrarian in me. As Everclear once sang, "Promises mean everything when you're little and the world's so big." Well, sometimes it seems like these promises set you up to be let down. The really strange thing is that it's not just a few isolated instances where this occurs. In the famous passage of Hebrews 11 it comments, "All these died in faith without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (Heb 11:13)" I think this verse underscores that much of correctly understanding God's promises has to do with the time frame involved. At the risk of being sacrilegious, counting on God's promises seems a bit like investing in the stock market. In the short term there can be a lot of volatility and the risks taken aren't quickly rewarded and the corrections are painful to endure. But in the long run it's proven to be the best place to be for your investment.

There's one other sidebar I want to throw there out on the unpredictability of these promises. I think it's actually part of what makes life exciting. I have never liked movies where all of the good guys live and all of the bad guys die. I mean, come on, nothing's ever that easy and it's got to cost you something. To borrow a bit from Elderidge, this is so deeply embedded in our stories. In Braveheart William Wallace dies but ultimately his companions ride to victory. In the Matrix, several of the crew members die but ultimately Neo saves the day. In Tombstone, Virgil Earp is wounded and Morgan Earp is killed but Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday ride out victoriously. And in Scripture, James is beheaded in prison while an angel rescues Peter but ultimately they will both be rewarded. "And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made pefect. (Heb 11:39,40)"