Thought For The Week on BBC Hereford & Worcester by The Reverend Ruth Hulse – The Peace of God

As part of the BBC Series A Vicar’s Life The Reverend Ruth Hulse was been asked back to BBC Hereford & Worcester to deliver their ‘Thought For The Week’.

Listen as Ruth describes what it is that makes the Peace of God quite so special, why that Peace – beyond understanding – will bring us closer to God.

Only this last week, somebody asked me, Ruth, what do you pray for most often?

Well, I don’t need to think about that question very hard at all, because the answer is; more than anything else, I pray for Peace.

And yes, that means I pray for peace in those broken and war torn parts of our world, of course I pray and long for that every day.

But for all those who have asked me to pray for them, I also pray that they might know peace, in the midst of their lives – the deep, deep peace that, even when they feel surrounded by the darkness and the helplessness of their situations, this peace might give a hope that there is light beyond the darkness, that there is something to hold onto, something to cling onto and something to be held by, or someone.

I believe that this deep peace is something that is desperately needed by so many in our world today as they face struggles, anxiety, and uncertainty often beyond their control and as they feel helpless to change the situation before them.

But I also believe that this peace CAN be found when we come to God carrying, dragging if we need to, all our darkness, our messiness, our pain and our struggles, and ask him to reach right into the midst of them with the peace that he offers through Jesus and that is so deep it is beyond our understanding.

This peace can bring healing as well as the hope that one day, maybe not now, this day, maybe not even within our sight, but one day, when the light finally penetrates the darkness of the situation, all will be well.

And I believe that is something worth holding onto and praying for time and time again.

That’s why I pray for peace….

So may the peace of God, that is beyond all our understanding, surround you all this week in whatever situations you may be facing. Amen