I was speaking with a friend most recently about her work situation and the unstableness of things around her. In our conversation, I began to question God of the cyclical problem with her company. God gave me a vision of a network of underground tunnels made by gophers that were taking place spiritually at her job. In the vision, I saw a gopher moving about through these tunnels. The tunnels had accumulated over years from many different “gophers” because no one had ever made efforts to deal with the issue.
According to the University of California Pest Management Program (UCPMP), gophers, or the its true name pocket gophers, are burrowing rodents with fur-lined external cheek pockets or pouches that are used for carrying food and other materials. They have large-front claws for digging, strong hind-quarters for kicking dirt back, and four-large incisor teeth for chewing. Gophers are active year-round, mostly loners, except when mating, and their breeding season occurs during the Spring whereby late Summer, the young produced are dispersing to create their own home.
In the vision God revealed, He showed a platform on top of this complicated network of tunnels, but the platform was sunken due to the devastation of the land dug by the series of gophers over the years. However, within that same vision, I saw the gopher disappear, and the tunnels were shifting. I knew then that the gopher hole entrances must be closed and the tunnels filled up. God had me pray that the “gophers” be exposed and removed so that the pattern of tunneling would cease. The very next day, two significant people from her job were fired unexpectedly.
In order to successfully bait, trap, or fumigate, you must locate the gopher’s main burrow using a gopher probe. Burrows can range for 200 to 2,000 square feet. Within that system is a feeding burrow, nest and food chamber, waste tunnel, and lateral tunnels that go back to the surface for gophers to easily access nearby food. The problem with eliminating this pest is that most people never accurately find the main burrow and over time, even years, gophers can create many tunnels that wreak havoc in your yard or garden because they chew on items from whole plants, roots, plastic wiring and so forth located underground. (UCPMP)
“God is exposing the intricate systems of tunnels that are destroying our given platforms.”
Platforms are everywhere and are used in multi-faceted ways that aid in the basic functioning of everyday life. Platforms are the places you are positioned in life such as on your job, your marriage, in friendship, a relationship,in ministry, as a parent, the music industry, education, and many other areas. What happens when you place a platform on top of land ravaged by gophers? You get unstable, destroyed foundations, and stolen fruit and vegetation from your land.Gophers take over the land from underneath and steal from what you have created. Many people get severe injuries from stepping into gopher holes and foundations can be rendered unusable.
“God wants us to deal with the gophers, the “sinfulness”, lurking in the dark. We must live in the Light so that darkness can be exposed. Stable platforms are needed for building God’s Kingdom.”
Ephesians 5: 1-14 Amplified Bible Version states, “1 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
3 But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith]. 4 Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. 5 For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God]. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments [that encourage you to sin], for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience [those who habitually sin]. 7 So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin]. 8 For once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] 9 (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. 11 Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; 12 for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. 14 For this reason He says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.”
Not only are we to produce the fruit of the Spirit which is goodness, righteousness , and truth, but to also know what is acceptable to the Lord. Every single action, word, and thought must be put to the test. Areas such as our conversation, friendship, marriage, sports, furniture, entertainment, books, and etc. should be magnified under the Light of the Lord. If you are doing, thinking, or speaking about something, ask yourself, “How does the Lord feel about this?” Is He pleased with what I am doing?”(Believer’s Bible Commentary)
“Believers should not fellowship with darkness. It’s unfruitful.”
While living underground, Gophers have the ability to take what you’ve planted on your land “platform”, devour it, or cause it to die due to damage. Remember, the only way to destroy the gopher is to find its main burrow and set a trap. This involves using a gopher probe in order to dig into the ground in which you may need assistance from another person. We need other believers that are full of Light to help us get rid of sinfulness. As believers, we are to not only abstain from darkness and sinful ways, but to expose it! Expose it by living a holy life, walking continually in love, and speaking the words the Holy Spirit gives you specifically for your particular platform.
We should always be shining our Light and exposing darkness around us. Awaken oh sleepers! Let the Lord shine deep in those hidden tunnels and break the patterns of destruction in your life. Let God tear down the pathways that have led your generations through levels of deep darkness. Trust Him! Now is the time to let God get your gophers and get you free!
