My understanding was that Sai gave practical, sometimes unusual, advice to his devotees. Instead of a task like feeding a dog, what was the nature of Sai's help for Balasaheb Deo as per this source?

The provided text from Chapter 41 explains that Sai's help is deeply affectionate, especially for devotees with a 'true taste for spiritual matters.' The chapter sets up the story of Balasaheb Deo as the prime example. Deo's problem was his failure to read the Dnyaneshwari regularly. His solution was to make a vow to only read it again upon Sai's direct command. The text frames this as an instance where Sai fulfills his devotee's wish and gives him an 'addition of devotion.' The help described is not a simple task, but a profound intervention in a devotee's spiritual practice, initiated by the devotee's complete surrender to the Guru's will.