Meeting Anger, Sadness, Anxiety, and Gladness in Psalm 55

What am I mad about?

What am I sad about?

What am I anxious about?

What am I glad about?

Recently I came across these four questions as a helpful tool to be proactive in maintaining helathy relationships with God, self and others.

We often come to the Psalms because they give us words we struggle to find on our own. They don’t pretend life is simple, neat, or consistently joyful. Instead, the Psalms invite us into a raw, honest, emotionally rich conversation with God.

And among them, Psalm 55 stands out as one of the clearest psalms that holds the full emotional range of the human heart—mad, sad, anxious, and glad.All in one place.All before the Lord.

This psalm gives language to the emotional complexity we carry, especially when we feel hurt, overwhelmed, or betrayed. Let’s walk through the four questions using Psalm 55 as our guide.

1. “What am I MAD about?” — Honest Anger Before God

Anger often emerges when something isn’t right—when trust is broken, when injustice occurs, or when circumstances violate what God intended for human life.

Psalm 55 begins with that sense of pressure and pain, and soon we discover the reason why:

“For it is not an enemy who taunts me…But it is you, a man, my companion, my familiar friend.” (vv. 12–13)

David is angry—not at a nameless enemy, but at betrayal by someone close. His words carry the sting of violated trust.

Psalm 55 reminds us that anger itself is not sinful. What matters is where we bring it—and David brings it to God.The Psalms teach us that God can handle our unfiltered honesty.

2. “What am I SAD about?” — Naming Grief and Disappointment

Beneath the anger, David reveals a deeper layer: sorrow.

“My heart is in anguish within me;the terrors of death have fallen upon me.” (v. 4)

Sometimes sadness hides beneath other emotions. Psalm 55 shows us that grief can sit right next to anger in the same heart.

What’s beautiful about this psalm is that it gives permission to grieve, to mourn the loss of trust, the pain of relational fracture, or the weight of circumstances that feel crushing.

There is no rush to “move on.” Instead, Scripture validates the emotional depth of sorrow.

3. “What am I ANXIOUS about?” — Sitting With Fear Without Being Consumed

As the psalm unfolds, David reveals another emotional layer: anxiety.

“Fear and trembling come upon me,and horror overwhelms me.” (v. 5)

Then he adds words many of us have felt:

“Oh, that I had wings like a dove!I would fly away and be at rest.” (v. 6)

Anxiety often sounds like wanting escape. Wanting out. Wanting the pressure to stop. David doesn’t hide this. He prays it.

Psalm 55 gives us permission to acknowledge our fear and overwhelm without shame. Anxiety doesn’t disqualify us from faith—it often drives us deeper into dependence on God.

4. “What am I GLAD about?” — Returning to Hope and Trust

Perhaps the most surprising part of Psalm 55 is that after anger, sorrow, and fear, David still finds his way to hope.

“But I call to God, and the LORD will save me.” (v. 16)

And later:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you.” (v. 22)

This is not a naïve gladness.Not a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” happiness.

This is gladness rooted in God’s character, not in changed circumstances.

David doesn’t deny the pain. He doesn’t pretend the betrayal didn’t happen. But he does affirm something deeper: the Lord will sustain him, save him, and carry what he cannot carry.

Psalm 55 teaches us that gladness is not the absence of hard emotions. It’s the presence of God in the middle of them.

Why Psalm 55 Matters for Us Today

Psalm 55 is a gift because it mirrors the emotional complexity of real life:

• You can be angry and faithful.

• You can be sad and hopeful.

• You can be anxious and loved.

• You can be honest and deeply held by God.

This psalm teaches us that emotional wholeness is not about choosing one emotion over another. It’s about bringing all of them to God—the God who listens, sustains, and saves.

Psalm 55 is an invitation:

Bring everything you’re feeling to Him.He meets you in the anger, the sadness, the anxiety, and the joy.