Isaiah 64:8

Isaiah 64:8 says, But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.  Isaiah said that all who put their faith in God were His children and were like clay in the hand of the Potter.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savor and Lord, we become a child of the Heavenly Father and then should allow Him to shape us into what He wants us to be. 

Verse nine adds, Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.  Isaiah then asked God to not be angry with those who put their faith in Him and to not remember their iniquities anymore. When we become a follower of Jesus Christ, all our sins are washed away, and God no longer remembers them. 

Verse ten continues, Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.  Isaiah said at that time, all of God’s holy cities were as a wilderness and Jerusalem was desolate.  Still, this was not because of the failure of God but because of the rebellion of His chosen people.  If things are looking desolate for us spiritually in the world today as Christians, it is usually because of our rebellion against God. 

Verse eleven says, Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.  Isaiah continued to talk about how Jerusalem was in desolation and mentioned the temple in particular.  He called it their holy and beautiful house where their fathers worshipped God, but it was always His house.  We should never think that a church building belongs to us.  Even more so, we should understand that as Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and belong to Him and should reflect His glory. 

Verse twelve adds, Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?  Isaiah asked if God would keep himself from them and hold His peace because of their sins.  I believe the answer was yes until they repented and returned to following God.  Even though we are forever saved, if we allow sin back into our lives, God may allow us to suffer in this lifetime, even though we are His forever.