The gifts of God are to be enjoyed, when the Giver is remembered. To prevent disease and promote well-being, health psychologists first try to remove behavioral risk factors. All the medicine in the World may not be enough to restore health, without changes in behavior. We all know someone, who has had a heart attack, or lung disease, who cannot or will not change the habits that led to their illness. Health-promoting behaviors include such obvious practices as getting regular exercise, controlling smoking and alcohol use, maintaining a balanced diet, getting good medical care, and managing stress. For example, here is how stress may harm you and cause illness. There is a Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA), called Princess, and she claims that the DEA sent her to Colombia, on an undercover assignment, in 1995; despite the fact that her life was in danger, and she had been receiving death threats and her identity had been exposed. During the investigation, Princess was kidnapped by a Colombian guerrilla group and taken to an unknown location. While being held captive, Princess’s captors tied a noose around her neck, for days, and locked her in a small room with a dirt floor, and a bed made of dried grass.

Princess was tortured and held for three and a half months. Soon after, Princess started having serious health problems. She was diagnosed by her doctors with multiple sclerosis, which medical experts said was caused by stressed related to her capture. The woman was awarded $1.1 million to cover her medical care for 25 years. Basic health practices should extend a person’s life. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the Earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the East is from the West, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are made in his image. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because people acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, I am about to stretch out my hand against these people, and I will cut off them off and destroy those who remain. I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them. Darkness is more eligible than light to those whose deeds are bad.