This verse, and verses like it have always perplexed me. How could a man have his heart perfect with God when he did not utterly remove the idolatry from the land? This excerpt from Matthew Henry's commentary on the Bible is enlightening:
"These he connived [secretly allow (something considered immoral, illegal, wrong, or harmful) to occur] at, and yet his heart was perfect. There may be defects in some particular duties where yet the heart, in the man, is upright with God. Sincerity is something less than sinless perfection."
Looking back through the Bible, we see many examples of this. Abraham was far from perfect. He had a habit of lying and there were many instances where he did not trust God at all. However, the Bible tells us he was faithful and he feared God.
We serve a God Who is touched by our human imperfection. As our Creator, He understands our weaknesses. And more than that, He sees our hearts, He knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our inability to attain perfection and loves us anyway. Indeed, it was this knowledge of our failures that caused Him to send His Son in the first place.
Though I am imperfect, is my heart sincerely seeking God today? When I fall in sin, is my immediate reaction repentance and seeking restoration of relationship with God? Seek not your own perfection, rather seek the One Who is Perfection.
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