Over the years I have accumulated a number of unfulfilled personal promises from the Lord. Recently I mentioned to Him that I didn't understand why He had not yet fulfilled them. Its not that I'm unusually impatient nor extraordinarily patient, but some of these promises are over 30 years old.
As I questioned the Lord I saw a picture in my mind of a scoop in heaven pouring out raisins. At first I disregarded what I saw. It seemed foolish and of no consequence. However I couldn't shake it and so began to inquire of the Lord about it.
Grapes are the clearest old testament prophetic image representing a promise. When the twelve spies returned from spying out the 'promised land' they brought back grapes as proof of its great fruitfulness. The grapes of Eschol were so large that it took two men to carry back one bunch on a long stick between them. Grapes became synonymous with the promised land and are the prototypical picture of a promise.
Now, raisins. Raisins are grapes dried up. They don't look near as good as plump juicy grapes but they fulfill a different purpose. In the ancient world they sustained soldiers in times of war or people traveling distances who need nutritious food that would not perish. Grapes only last a short time but raisins have the ability to sustain people in dry difficult circumstances over the long haul.
Jeremiah once said, "I found your word and ate it and it became the joy and rejoicing of my heart..." Thats what we must do to inherit the promises of God. We must eat them, chew on them, meditate upon them, consume them and make them ours. Promises come like grapes but are fulfilled like raisins. Over time our personal promises seem to dry up and wither just like a grape that becomes a raisin, but if we will eat them they shall sustain us until their time of fulfillment arrives.
REMEMBER: PROMISES COME LIKE GRAPES BUT ARE FULFILLED LIKE RAISINS.