阅读经文 

幔利的橡树所在的位置是迦南人有名的敬拜场所，人们在那里买卖货物，向他们的神献各样的祭物。关于这些树和那里的宗教活动有许多故事，所以当亚伯兰搬到附近居住，他筑了一座坛来宣告他和耶和华的关系，这是很重要的。这个地方，正是人们聚集敬拜其他神的地方。

我们可以想像，亚伯兰住在橡树附近时，他可能有用其他方式满足欲望的试探，但他仍然忠心地服侍耶和华，神曾向亚伯兰启示，祂会指引他的后代。亚伯拉罕（不再是亚伯兰）就是在这里接待了三个旅客，其中一个就是耶和华自己。那一次，神应许亚伯拉罕和撒拉年老时会生一个孩子，问他们说：“耶和华岂有难成的事吗？”（参创 18）

在你生活或工作的地方，也或许你知道这么一个地方，在那里利己的生活方式和献身于神的生活方式可能存在强烈的反差。或许神呼召你在一个每天都挑战你忠实于祂的应许的地方生活或工作——你需要倚靠神的良善才能坚持。唯有靠神的力量你才能站稳，并向他人分享祂的爱。

The location of the great trees of Mamre was a renowned place of Canaanite worship where people went to buy and sell goods and to offer all kinds of sacrifices to their gods. There are many stories about these trees and the religious practices there, so it's significant that when Abram went to live near them, he built an altar to acknowledge his relationship with the Lord. Abram did this in the very place where people flocked to worship other gods.

We can imagine that while he lived near the great trees of Mamre, Abram may have been tempted with other possibilities for fulfilling his desires, yet he faithfully served the Lord, who revealed himself as the one who would guide each generation. This was also the place where Abraham (no longer called Abram) received three visitors, one of whom was the Lord himself. On that occasion, God promised Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age and asked: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (see Genesis 18).

Perhaps you live in or work in, or know of, a place where there's a strong contrast between a self-serving lifestyle and a life that's dedicated to God. Maybe God has called you to live and work in a place where you are challenged every day to remain faithful to his promises—and you need to depend on God's goodness to persevere. In God's strength you can stand firm, and you can share his love with others.