I Samuel 23:1,2
‘Then they informed David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors.” So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”’
I love how David prayed about this. We aren't to involve ourselves in every fight. David saw the need. His reflex was to help, but he understood this principle. We can get into a mess by overextending ourselves or by taking up a fight that's not ours.
In this instance, God wanted him to help. What a difference when we have God's blessing. I can recall when Jonathon saw an opportunity in which he was greatly outnumbered, but said, "God can deliver with many or few". He set up a fleece to see if God would be in it. In the end, God blessed their plan and a great victory was won that day (I Samuel 14).
We will encounter opportunities to help. We should pray about all things. Sometimes the door opens, other times not. Usually the results are ordinary. Sometimes special and on rare occasions they are amazing. This is from the human perspective. From the heavenly view they are all significant. All movements toward God are big. It might be a single degree towards Him. That's how things work.
Jesus shares some interesting insight, "For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you to have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.” This the same for us. Sometimes we are the sowers, other times we water and others we reap. The dramatic responses come at the repeating. It isn't always fireworks. The great majority is simple investment. We do our best and trust the Lord with the results.
David's results were big this time. He saved a whole village. He was acting as king, defending the people. Saul had his jealous pursuits which were against God. When we stray we can sin and find ourselves working contrary to God. Saul was once in God's favor. He was in a couple of complicated situations and disobeyed. The people were grumbling about his decisions and he compromised. God help us not to do so.
Maybe the Lord extended David's time of testing (about ten years) so he wouldn't fall into a similar situation. We have our weaknesses and could easily fall. Lord, help us not to. I can hear line in the Lord's Prayer, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil".
Another aspect of asking the Lord about helping is he often blesses us with honor as we work in His will. It's not as we seek it, but He gives it. Psalm 23 says, "You prepareth a table for me in the presence of my enemies". He holds an honor banquet for us. This was hard to grasp early on, as my former religious training forbid such a thing. It made no room for God doing so. However we are His children, it would make sense that He would bless us that way. We don't seek it or exaggerate it when it comes. We say thank you or express our appreciation that the Lord did such a thing.
Lord, thank You for David's example of asking before committing himself. Help us to do the same. Thank You for blessing these circumstances. Thank You for blessing our lives as You do.