The immediate crisis is described as the wicked threatening to kill the upright in heart.  The wicked have free reign because the foundations of society are being destroyed and there is no one in authority to keep the wicked in check.  The natural reaction for the upright in heart is to want to flee like bird.  So, the Psalmist asks the obvious question:  in a time of extreme crisis, such as this, what can the righteous do?

In the second part of the Psalm, the question is answered.  We are called upon to look beyond the present crisis, as bad as it is, and to trust in God, who sits sovereign on the throne in heaven; God will act according to his righteousness.  During the time of extreme crisis, the upright in heart are tested and the wicked are destroyed.   The upright and the righteous have confidence that they will be vindicated, and they will behold the face of God.