Paul is on a ship as a prisoner, and they are in a terrible storm and the crew is afraid that they are all going to die. “Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told” (Acts 27:22-25, ESV).

God is going to deliver Paul and the whole crew. God could just make the boat get to land, like He did the night of the storm when Jesus was walking on water. Jesus got in the boat and then immediately it reached the other shore. God could just pluck them all out of the ship and put them on shore. Philip found himself in another city suddenly. God just picked him up and put him where he wanted him. But God didn’t do any of those things.

But God didn’t fail. They were all saved. God delivered even though He didn’t use super miraculous means. Paul might have reached shore clinging to a board. God can use natural means to achieve His supernaturally declared ends. God hasn’t failed when we have to use natural means to get to His ends. We don’t need the showstopper miracle to know that God was the one who accomplished it.

Paul knew God’s will was to save them. Paul trusted God to bring it about and didn’t make his own plan of escape. The soldier in charge was the one who gave the command to swim ashore or to grab a plank. Paul must have obeyed orders, natural orders from natural man, but supernaturally ordained by God to deliver Paul from his every trouble.