Building God's House: From the Temple to Retail Space
In the heart of the Old Testament, there is a recurring theme through the history of God’s people: the building of His house. Think about the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the grand vision of Solomon to build God’s Temple - these sacred spaces weren’t just architectural masterpieces —they were acts of worship, obedience, reverence, and awe.
We at Reverent Awe Designs have embarked on our own version of that sacred work. As we have begun building out a physical retail space at Painted Tree, we do that not for vanity or profit, but to bring our King all the glory His name merits. And to carve out a place where faith meets craftsmanship, and worship intersects daily life
The Tabernacle: A Pattern from Heaven
In Exodus 25, God gives Moses an extraordinary command:
“Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8, ESV)
There was nothing ordinary about this building. It was to be made exactly “according to the pattern” God showed Moses (Exodus 25:9). Every thread, every piece of wood, every precious metal had a purpose—reflecting the holiness of the One who would inhabit it.
The Tabernacle, though mobile and humble in appearance, was the meeting place for God and His people. That’s the heart behind our space: not just to sell apparel and accessories, but to create an atmosphere where every shirt, every design, every scripture, every detail invites people into heart posture of reverent awe.
The Temple: Sacrifice, Time, and Glory
Fast forward to the time of King Solomon, and we find a similar call to build—but this time, it’s permanent and massive in scale. 1 Kings 6 details the seven-year process to complete the Temple in Jerusalem.
“Now the house was built of stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.” (1 Kings 6:7)
We can close our eyes and imagine the level of preparation that went into that project. The stones were cut off-site so the Temple could be assembled in silence—a mark of honor for the dwelling place of God.
At Reverent Awe, we resonate with this deeply. As we shape our retail environment —designing the layout, sourcing materials, selecting displays—we aim to do so intentionally. After selecting the wood for the project, we realized as diligent as we had been on selecting the best pieces of wood, there were still major flaws. We were confronted with a decision — do we go back and get more premium wood, to make the building easier or stick with what we have. Though more difficult, the imperfect wood is a metaphor for God’s people, we are all flawed, fall short of his pristine nature, yet he turns us into something beautiful.
The Cost of Building
One theme we see throughout Scripture is that building God’s house is costly. Not just in money—but in time, energy, and personal surrender.
King David longed to build the Temple, but God chose Solomon instead. Yet David didn’t step back—he gave sacrificially from his own wealth and led Israel to do the same:
“With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God... Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” (1 Chronicles 29:2,5)
The people rejoiced at the opportunity to give, because they understood the weight and worth of the mission.
We’ve felt this cost too. Opening a retail space isn’t easy. It's time-consuming, stretching, and often inconvenient. There have been long days, late nights, numerous pivots, and spiritual battles. But like David and the people of Israel, we count it a joy to build something for the Lord.
Haggai: When the House Lies in Ruins
In the book of Haggai, the prophet speaks to a generation who had grown spiritually complacent. After returning from exile, the Israelites started rebuilding their lives—but neglected the Temple.
“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4)
God calls them out—not because He needed them to build him something, but because their priorities revealed their hearts.
This verse is a powerful reminder to us as Christian entrepreneurs. In all the challenges of running a brand, sourcing products, or managing logistics, it’s easy to lose sight of why we started. Reverent Awe Designs isn’t just for display, it’s a platform for worship.
Whether customers walk in to buy a t-shirt or simply browse, our prayer is that they feel the presence of God in the new environment—through scripture on the walls, encouragement in the signage, warmth in the welcome, and intentionality in every design.
A Modern Altar: Retail as Worship
We’re not building a temple with gold-plated walls or cherubim-shaped carvings. But we are building a space that points people back to Him.
In 1 Peter 2:5, the apostle writes:
“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Our space—our entire brand—is part of that spiritual house. Each rack, shirt, design, and interaction is a spiritual sacrifice, laid before a holy God who deserves our best.
What This Means for You
You may never pick up a hammer or lay flooring in a retail space, but rest assured you are a builder too.
You’re building when you raise your children in the truth.
You’re building when you steward your talents for God’s glory.
You’re building when you show up faithfully, even when no one sees it.
Just as the Tabernacle was made with contributions from many hands (Exodus 35), we know that Reverent Awe Designs is being shaped by a community of believers—each one bringing their piece to the altar.
Join Us in the Work
As we build out this physical space, we invite you to pray with us—for wisdom, provision, and fruit. This isn’t just our project—it’s God’s.
And when the doors open, we hope you’ll come in and see more than just clothing. We hope you’ll sense the Reverent Awe of the One we’re pointing to.
Because this is more than business.
Want to stay connected as we finish the build? Join our email list or follow along on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates, scriptures we're praying over the space, and the moment we open the doors.
Together, let's keep building with reverent awe of our King.