Jonah was dragged his feet when God told him to go to Nineveh and proclaim God's pending judgment. Jonah's heart was not big enough to rejoice when the king and the city repented. Jonah's heart was not enlarged with compassion for the poor sinful lost souls of Nineveh.
Unlike Abraham who interceded for wicked Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:23-33) and Moses who interceded for Israel when God threatened to wipe them out (Exodus 32:1-35), Jonah's heart desperately needed to be enlarged.
"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil" (Jonah 4:1-2).
How reticent and reluctant much of the church has been to go to places that are evil and lost to warn them to repent. Like Jonah, we have a lot to learn about God's love for fallen man. Indeed, our hearts desperately need enlargement. "Then said the Lord... And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand: and also much cattle?" (Jonah 4:10-11).
Men, there are right now multitudes of cities just like Nineveh in this world, cities who desperately need someone with a big enough heart to go and tell them of God's great love to save them before judgment falls and they perish.
Men, have you got your running shoes on?
"I will run the way of thy commandments, when that shalt ENLARGE my heart" (Psalm 119:32).
Be encouraged. Colin