President Assad has attacked his people with poison gas. Western powers are threatening military intervention. Our news commentators are openly speculating about a Third World War. Elsewhere there is political and social turmoil. The church is splintering, wider society is not at ease with itself. There is a lack of 'shalom', the many-levelled peace that God wants to bring to his people.

In a world of conflict, here are eight verses about peace from the Old Testament.

1. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace (Number 6: 25-26).

2. I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country (Leviticus 26:6).

3. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8).

4. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:11).

5. Too long have I lived among those who hate peace (Psalm 120:6).

6. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones (Proverbs 14:30).

7. My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest (Isaiah 32:18)

8. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace (Jeremiah 8:11).