Luke 1:66

And all that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

This outlines the great expectations which many had with regard to a child providentially born to aged parents, and who might indeed have become an orphan at quite an early age. God, however, was more than able to take care of this one whom God has chosen as herald of the Redeemer.

For the hand of the Lord was with him ... This verse is a projection of the attitude in that community as it extended for years after the events narrated. Along with Luke 1:80, and Luke 2:52, this is a typically Lukan style. This clause is an anthropomorphic metaphor such as abounds in the Old Testament. The "feet" of God (Exodus 24:10), the "finger" of God (Exodus 31:18), the "eyes" of God (Deuteronomy 11:12), the "ears" of God (Numbers 11:18), and the "hand" of God (Exodus 9:3) are Old Testament examples of the same metaphor. Such imagery was used to aid human thinking with regard to HIM who is actually a Spirit (John 4:24). "Lord" is the word Luke here used of the Almighty, and the same word was used of Jesus even before he was born (Luke 1:43); thus this Gospel author joined apostles (John 1:1) and other sacred authors in ascribing absolute deity to Jesus Christ our Lord.