Promise 14 from Numbers 12:13

Numbers 12:13 - "Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, 'O God, heal her, I pray!' But the Lord said to Moses, 'If her father had spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterwards she may be received again.'" - Miriam sinned by complaining against Moses, his wife and God, so now she is being punished. Traditionally, I would say the western church does not do church discipline well. We are so eager to "not offend" people out of fear that they'll leave the church, that discipline just isn't addressed. However, the Heavenly Father gives us a great example of what it should look like. I love that He used the example of father to daughter when He was speaking to Moses. "If her father were to spit in her face..." The Heavenly Father is disciplining her as a father should, to give consequences, yet it is only temporary. He says that after the seven days outside the camp, she will be welcomed back or received again. Maybe that is why our churches don't do well with discipline, its because they don't know how to receive people back, or welcome them back to the fold. They allow the offenders to be marked for life. There is a no grace extended for the "leprosy" to be healed. Its such a shame. The promise to us is, that God in His love will discipline us and He will always receive us back, totally forgiven, with no blemishes. Thank you Lord!