“All who hate me are plotting together to break me. They’re saying things like, ‘God is punishing him with a terrible disease, and he deserves to die.’ Even my most trusted friends seem bent on destroying me. Lord, be merciful to me and raise me up, so I can repay them” (Psalm 41:7–10, paraphrase).
The word “repay” here is “salam.” It does mean recompense, but maybe not the way you’d expect. It doesn’t mean to crush everyone who’s been a jerk to you—its primary meaning is to reciprocate by making amends, and to restore relationship with someone. It means to become secure in mind and whole in body through peace and kindness.
It would be kind of nice if the world took a minute for that revelation to sink in.
Equip Your Spirit 