We’ve heard a lot about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But did you know that the longest story in Genesis, and one of the longest stories in the Bible, is actually about Jacob’s son, Joseph?

When Joseph was a teenager, Jacob made him a special robe. It wasn’t a choir robe (there weren’t many choirs yet). And it wasn’t a bathrobe (they didn’t take many baths either). It was a robe of many colors. Jacob gave it to Joseph because Joseph was his most favorite son, which quickly made Joseph the least favorite brother. And to make matters worse, Joseph had a dream that one day his mom and dad and brothers would all bow down to him.

Some dream, the brothers thought. More like a nightmare. So they ripped apart the fancy robe, threw Joseph in a pit, and sold him into slavery. Later, when Jacob asked his sons where Joseph was, the big brothers showed their father the robe and told a lie about Joseph being devoured by a wild animal.

Everything in Joseph’s life was about to get worse. But then better, then worse, then better, then worse, over and over, until everything finally got better at the end.

First, Joseph served as a slave for an important Egyptian official named Potiphar. That’s worse. But Joseph was so good at what he did and the Lord was blessing him so much, that Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire house. That’s better. But then Potiphar’s wife tried to kiss Joseph, and because he knew better than to kiss another man’s wife, she lied about the whole thing and got Joseph thrown in prison. That’s worse.

But God was with Joseph and gave him the ability to interpret dreams for two other prisoners. One of the men promised to remember Joseph when he was back serving Pharaoh. Better! But the man forgot Joseph. Worse! But later he remembered. Better! By the time he was thirty years old, Joseph was working for Pharaoh himself and on his way to being the second-most-powerful person in Egypt. Much better!

Years later, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt desperately looking for food, and Joseph was the only person who had any food to give. Sure enough, Joseph’s family was bowing down before him. Except they didn’t know it was him. Not right away. And once they found out it was Joseph—their long-lost brother, the “I thought you were dead” son—they were afraid. Surely, he would not be nice to them after they had been so mean.

But that’s not how Joseph saw things. “You meant evil against me,” he said, “but God meant it for good.” That’s how God works. Not just for Joseph. For all his people. No matter how many pits or prisons we end up in, God is up to something better. Much better!