Perfect hearts

Dear brethren,
Today's readings:

1Kings 8; Psalm 30; 1Timothy 3

1 Kings 8:61 (KJV)
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word here for  "perfect" here is actually "Salem" or whole, complete and also the idea of at peace, where relationships are concerned. It is used to describe the well fashioned stones for the temple as we have read previously in 1Ki 6:7, also in reference to the completion of the temple (2Chr 8:16), fair weights (whole and not tweaked) in Pro 11:1 and wages paid in full (Ruth 2:12).
So again we see this idea of being complete. Complete of what? Of the single mindedness in seeking after God, no matter what. It does not mean we can do what we want as long as our hearts are "sincere". It does not mean we will be sinless in our lives. What it does mean is that we will continue to bench mark against God standards and be humble enough to make changes to make right with God, if and when we stray.
Using the analogy of fair weights or say the modern day weighing machine. In order to get a consistent and reliable reading, the scale needs to be calibrated and accurate. At times we may get an incorrect reading but it could be due to the scale not being placed on a stable surface or that the object is not placed properly on the scale. That can be easily discovered by visual inspection and  multiple readings and discarding the anamolies. But if the scale itself is faulty, then there is absolutely no way to be confident of its reading.
Such is the hearts of man. If our hearts are perfect, even though at times we may misuse it, we could still be corrected back on track. But the incomplete, wavering heart will never produce a consistent action (c.f. Jam 1:6-8; Eph 4:14).
And how do we obtain and maintain such a heart? It begins and ends with continual study and obedience to God's Word. Just as the scale must be calibrated to the standard measure, our hearts can only be perfect if it is attuned to the perfect standard of God's Word.

Let us all strive after a perfect heart, as what was described of David, as a people "after his (God's) own heart" (1Sa 13:14), and continue to abide in His Word, that we may be found pleasing before Him and finally be received up in glory!